1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:06,000 The Florida Football Insiders Podcast is brought to you by Titan Home Lending, Ticketsmarter 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:11,679 dot Com, Print and Marketing Solutions, and Star Alvarado, our real estate 3 00:00:11,759 --> 00:00:23,039 agent. Enjoy the podcast look at college football news, analysis and insight from 4 00:00:23,039 --> 00:00:27,800 around the Sunshine State. This is Florida Football Insiders, a part of the 5 00:00:27,839 --> 00:00:33,000 College Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast nets. And here's your host, Jason Tylers. 6 00:00:37,119 --> 00:00:42,439 All Right, welcome back, folks to year two of the Florida Football 7 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:49,719 Insiders podcast as part of the College Coast College Football Coast to Coast podcast network. 8 00:00:50,399 --> 00:00:54,359 I am your host, Jason, and I'm down here in the beautiful 9 00:00:54,679 --> 00:00:59,960 state of Florida. We are embracing ourselves for a possible hurricane down this way. 10 00:01:00,159 --> 00:01:03,799 So we're starting to get a little nervous because lots of the reports say 11 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:07,680 the hurricane is going to be heading towards central west central Florida here in the 12 00:01:07,719 --> 00:01:10,920 neck of the woods where I'm at here in the Tampa Bay area. So 13 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:15,319 hopefully, if it does, the impact is minimal. But we are here 14 00:01:15,359 --> 00:01:21,599 for year two again College Florida Football Insiders Podcast. Want to give a shout 15 00:01:21,599 --> 00:01:26,159 out to Steve Carney, our executive producer for getting all these all our podcasts 16 00:01:26,239 --> 00:01:30,000 on the air and in the places they need to be on the right days 17 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:32,239 and all that kind of goods. So thanks to you, Steve, our 18 00:01:32,719 --> 00:01:34,799 quarterback of our team, as well as TJ. Reeves, kind of the 19 00:01:34,879 --> 00:01:40,719 ringleader of the college football Coast to Coast podcast network. So we are back 20 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:44,560 for year two. If you haven't haven't been with us before, this podcast 21 00:01:44,719 --> 00:01:49,079 is centered on all things State of Florida college football. We'll even sprinkle in 22 00:01:49,079 --> 00:01:53,680 a little pro football as well occasionally, so try to highlight some of the 23 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:57,879 Florida guys that are playing in the state of Florida in the NFL, and 24 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:00,799 we'll maybe hit on a couple of little interesting NFL topics related to the Florida 25 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:05,439 teams, the Jaguars, the Bucks, Dolphins. So we'll try to make 26 00:02:05,519 --> 00:02:09,599 this is gonna be an all Florida centric football podcast. We are gonna have 27 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:13,800 a great list set a guest for you throughout the year. We got gonna 28 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,759 have beat writers that are covering that different teams all over the state of Florida 29 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:24,439 from Florida State, Miami FSU, the Gators, South Florida Bulls, FAU 30 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:30,400 FIU all the big stories that are coming out in the State of Florida. 31 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:32,919 We will have beat writers, we'll talk to us some play by play guys, 32 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:38,319 which we're gonna do to not this this episode, we're gonna preview three 33 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:42,000 of our State of Florida teams, University of Florida, Florida State, and 34 00:02:42,199 --> 00:02:46,120 USF. We've got the play by play voice of the Gators, Sean Kelly. 35 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:50,280 We've got the play by play voice of the Florida State Seminoles, Jeff 36 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:53,319 Colahane. Both those guys are having gonna have huge games. Opening week, 37 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:59,639 Florida's host is going out to Salt Lake City to see the utah Utes in 38 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:02,599 a return earn game from the game in Gainesville last year. Florida State hosting 39 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:08,560 a top ten rated LSU team playing in Orlando on Sunday night of Labor Day, 40 00:03:08,759 --> 00:03:12,919 and the USF Bulls. We'll be talking to Joey Johnston, the scythe 41 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:17,439 one reporter for their radio coverage. South Florida will be heading to Bowling Green, 42 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:22,599 Kentucky to face the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky. In year one of Alex 43 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:24,159 Golis, the new head coach at the Universe of South Florida. So we're 44 00:03:24,159 --> 00:03:28,039 gonna have three previews for you this week. Next week, we're gonna preview 45 00:03:28,319 --> 00:03:32,919 the Miami Hurricanes, who have a big Week two showdown with Texas A and 46 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:38,000 M. We're also gonna talk We're gonna talk some UCF nights as they enter 47 00:03:38,039 --> 00:03:42,680 the Big twelve. We're gonna talk to Matt Michelle who works for the Orlando 48 00:03:42,759 --> 00:03:46,520 Sentinel. He's gonna be previewing the Central Florida nights as well. So we're 49 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:49,639 gonna have all your team previews for you. So so stay tuned this week 50 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:54,039 and next week for that FIU. They got off, They got off the 51 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:59,840 mat early and they played Week zero in Ruston, Louisiana against La Tech. 52 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:04,879 Lost a very competitive game twenty two seventeen. Ltech scored with about a minute 53 00:04:04,919 --> 00:04:08,439 and a half to go in the game to win the game. So a 54 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:15,879 good start, good effort there by Mike McIntyre and Florida International. Many people 55 00:04:15,919 --> 00:04:18,399 thought Ltech would beat them pretty salenties, but good a nice job there by 56 00:04:18,639 --> 00:04:25,279 coach McIntyre and the FIU, and we will get have some FIU chatter as 57 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:30,120 well throughout the season as well. So again, Florida is kicking off their 58 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:35,000 season Thursday night this week in Salt Lake City. Tough matchup, got a 59 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:39,000 new quarterback, which we're gonna talk to Sean Kelly about and give you all 60 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:44,040 the all the details you need to know about the Florida roster players to keep 61 00:04:44,079 --> 00:04:47,319 an eye on coaching things, all that kind of good stuff. And then 62 00:04:47,319 --> 00:04:51,639 we're gonna obviously next up, we're gonna talk to Jeff Colehaning up in Tallahassee 63 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:57,120 about the seven Holes, Mike Norvell year four ton of expectations for the Knowles 64 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:02,360 National championship potential if they can get through the month of September, two huge 65 00:05:02,399 --> 00:05:05,680 games in September. And then we're gonna talk to Joey Johnston it's part of 66 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:10,959 the USF Bulls Radio Network to talk preview the Bulls, talk about new coach 67 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:15,839 Alex Golish, all the things that go into being a new coach and restructure 68 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:17,839 in the program and all that. So great episode for you this week, 69 00:05:17,879 --> 00:05:23,000 Florida football insiders. Remember you can reach out to me on Twitter or x 70 00:05:23,079 --> 00:05:28,839 or whatever we're calling it these days at JPO Sports, or if you haven't 71 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:31,680 already done so, hit the subscribe button on your podcast platform, so you'll 72 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:38,079 get this episode this podcast deliver to your laptop or your phone every single week, 73 00:05:38,439 --> 00:05:43,439 and we'll be here every week of the college football season. Or and 74 00:05:43,639 --> 00:05:47,480 you can watch our video interviews of the preview of Florida Florid State USF this 75 00:05:47,519 --> 00:05:51,519 week and all future interviews that we're doing. You can also catch that on 76 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:57,079 my YouTube channel, Jason Powers Sports Channel. I also host the Powers on 77 00:05:57,120 --> 00:06:00,920 Sports podcast, which is kind of a national centric podcast. We'll be talking 78 00:06:00,959 --> 00:06:04,759 tons of NFL college football, kind of the news of the week in the 79 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:10,079 sports world. So check out the Powers on Sports podcast. Also, I 80 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:15,800 host the press Box Radio show on Wednesdays Wednesday mornings. You can check out 81 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:20,000 press Box radio dot com. My guy, Mike Grace is the host based 82 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:24,079 out of Atlanta. We do a ton of college football talk, SEC Talk, 83 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:29,839 and again I'm on that show every Wednesday morning eight to ten am Eastern 84 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:32,120 Time, or you can listen to it on demand. We're on in about 85 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:35,360 fifteen markets in five different states, so we've got some good reach all over 86 00:06:35,439 --> 00:06:41,720 the Southeast, So definitely check out press Box Radio dot com to find an 87 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:45,680 affiliate near you, and or you can listen to it on demand or listen 88 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:49,759 live on weekday mornings eight am to ten am, and I host with Mike 89 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:54,800 Grace on Wednesday morning. So, and if you're in the Tampa Bay and 90 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:59,759 Orlando markets, you might catch me on Spectrum News occasionally. I'm a contributor 91 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:02,959 to their Spectrum Sports three sixty nightly show on at ten thirty Eastern time. 92 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:09,680 If you're in the Tampa and Orlando markets do I do some contributions to that 93 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:14,199 show as well. So try to stay busy here and again appreciate your support, 94 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:16,920 and again check out Florida Football Insiders. If you haven't already subscribe, 95 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:21,000 hit that subscribe button, tell your friends who are all the state of Florida 96 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:25,399 football fans, and all that good stuff. So we'll be back in just 97 00:07:25,439 --> 00:07:29,199 a minute or two. We're gonna start off again our season previews with the 98 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:34,079 Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles, and the USF Bulls. Well, the 99 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:40,800 fall football season and fall sports calendar is finally here, and there's no better 100 00:07:40,839 --> 00:07:45,079 place to buy your tickets for whether it's for the NFL, college football, 101 00:07:45,519 --> 00:07:49,120 Major League Baseball, or any sporting event in between. 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All right, 111 00:08:35,639 --> 00:08:41,799 welcome into our simulcast podcast of the Powers On Sports podcast in Florida Football Insiders. 112 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:46,080 We are so welcomed and so happy to have the Gators play by play 113 00:08:46,159 --> 00:08:50,279 voice Sean Kelly in year two with the Gators. Also, Sean also is 114 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:54,039 does a lot of work for ESPN as well throughout the year. So and 115 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:58,679 we're got an exciting year two. Billy Napier up in Gainesville, a lot 116 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:01,399 of changes on the roster, new quarterback and such. I want to welcome 117 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:07,000 Seawan to the podcast appreciate you being with a Shawan Hi Jason. Great to 118 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:09,879 be heroes always, and greetings from the swamp. I'm in my home broadcast 119 00:09:09,919 --> 00:09:13,080 booth for the first time this year. As we speak, the Gators are 120 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:18,360 having their first full contact scrimmage of the summer. Every calls a fall camp, 121 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:20,919 it's the heating necks is like one hundred and five. Let's call it 122 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:24,159 summer camp, shall we? Yes, no doubt about it, no doubt 123 00:09:24,399 --> 00:09:26,039 all Right, Before we get to the Gators, I want to talk to 124 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:28,320 you about a couple of things you did over the summer. Saw you on 125 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:31,440 the airwave. You did some Summer League out in Las Vegas, done some 126 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:37,399 baseball from MLB Baseball for ESPN. Talk to me about Summer League. Is 127 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:41,120 all the hype about mister wemban Yanna. You are out there during that period 128 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:43,799 of time. Give us a little sense of the hype about Winban Yanna. 129 00:09:43,639 --> 00:09:48,279 Oh, the hype's real. I mean, it's it's as crazy as I've 130 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:52,480 ever seen the Summer League festivities in Las Vegas, and I think in a 131 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:58,759 lot of ways it's justified. We're talking about a very, very talented individual 132 00:09:58,799 --> 00:10:03,960 with freakish size and the combination that we see now and again, but maybe 133 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:07,360 not this complete, this early in a young man's career. And he's proved 134 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:13,039 himself not just in European play, Jason, but look, they also played 135 00:10:13,039 --> 00:10:18,879 some exhibition games against G league talent and he fair just fine. So surely 136 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:22,000 enough he's he's in a great organization to develop too, with the San Antonio 137 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:26,039 Spurs, and you could see it kind of how it played out the first 138 00:10:26,039 --> 00:10:33,720 game, uncomfortable, trying to find his way, and then sure enough he 139 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:37,759 progressed pretty quickly through his next couple of nights on the floor. And again 140 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:43,639 he's playing with guys right now that he probably won't play with when he's been 141 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:48,000 the big club, and they've only been together for like eight days, that 142 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:52,159 kind of thing, So you can see what this will be. You can 143 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:56,639 see where some of his growing pains will come from along the way. But 144 00:10:56,759 --> 00:11:01,039 he, I think, is still believed to be a generational talent based on, 145 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:05,919 you know, the body of work and the glimpses that he showed in 146 00:11:05,039 --> 00:11:07,799 Las Vegas. I think the Spurs are just happy that he got a little 147 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:13,679 taste and got out of there unscathed, but they got hurt and they'll get 148 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:18,519 him into camp and Greg Popovitch will begin to bring him along. So I 149 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:22,080 want to think he's a generational talent. You know, it's too early to 150 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:26,559 say at this point, but all signs are pointing to that. But probably 151 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:28,120 very cool for you to be out there with that much hyper on a guy 152 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:33,480 who's you know, coming into the league. It was I mean, you 153 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:35,480 know, I didn't have any of his games, but I was there, 154 00:11:35,559 --> 00:11:39,120 and and the ripple effect that it had upon all of the other games, 155 00:11:41,759 --> 00:11:43,840 you know, the attendance alone, and and some re leagues unique in that 156 00:11:43,879 --> 00:11:48,320 it's it's two buildings that are connected. You know, one is the Thomas 157 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:50,879 and mac Arena where un OB plays its games. The other side is kind 158 00:11:50,919 --> 00:11:54,879 of their smaller gym, the Cock's Pavilion. And so, you know, 159 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:58,840 fans can they basically pay a day rate, so you you lay down your 160 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:01,879 bucks and you get a tick and that means you can stay all day, 161 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:05,200 which can be four games, and you can go back and forth. So 162 00:12:05,399 --> 00:12:07,559 it really has kind of become the center of the basketball universe for that, 163 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:11,799 you know, eleven twelve days every summer. And so with the when by 164 00:12:11,919 --> 00:12:16,240 nano factor, with the growth of the event. You know, NBA did 165 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:20,440 NBA Cohn for the first time in Las Vegas. While they're out there, 166 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:24,600 and it's become a thing. It really has. Even just in the four 167 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:28,120 years that I've been working out there, it's different now than it was the 168 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:31,000 first year that I did it. It's the hardest week of my year, 169 00:12:31,039 --> 00:12:35,519 Frankly. I mean, if I'm being honest about the preparation, the schedule, 170 00:12:37,759 --> 00:12:41,440 all of that, it's it's a week that I I dread and look 171 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:43,919 forward to all the same time. So you know, I know that's a 172 00:12:43,039 --> 00:12:48,279 total contradiction, but that's exactly what Summer League is for me now in summer 173 00:12:48,279 --> 00:12:56,519 out in Las Vegas. So I like the fact that we've had guys come 174 00:12:56,559 --> 00:13:01,679 around off the Big Club to watch the potential new town. Those guys are 175 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:05,679 getting together. They're kind of making a working vacation out of it. So 176 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:09,080 there's plenty of people to talk to. You know, most all the front 177 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:13,600 office people are around. Uh you know, you know on Baseball Winner Meetings 178 00:13:13,639 --> 00:13:16,759 that if you were looking to get a job in baseball, you went to 179 00:13:16,799 --> 00:13:20,360 the Baseball Winner meetings because that's where the job fair was. Or you might 180 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:24,960 bump into a GM that that kind of a thing. That's where this is 181 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:31,200 headed too. So it's like I think Baseball winner meetings and NFL owners meetings 182 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:35,720 and Pro Bowl and All Star weekend kind of all rolled into one. That's 183 00:13:35,759 --> 00:13:41,960 kind of yeah, job fair, but just a networking opportunity. And it's 184 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:46,799 again it's excuse me a big your pardon. You know all these people in 185 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:50,960 the league, right, but everybody's doing this all season long. It's hard 186 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:52,440 to be in one place, It's right, it's All Star weekend, and 187 00:13:52,639 --> 00:13:56,360 most people during All Star weekend, Jason, they're going on some kind of 188 00:13:56,480 --> 00:14:01,639 vacation. Many go to All Star week again wherever city that is, but 189 00:14:01,759 --> 00:14:03,080 a lot of guys just trying to get a break in the middle of the 190 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:07,080 season. This is truly the one time where you'll find just about everybody in 191 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:11,799 the NBA in one spot. So that's pretty cool, cool, all right. 192 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:13,159 The other big thing you had this summer. At the beginning of the 193 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:16,320 summer, you were part of the Gators broadcast at the College World Series. 194 00:14:18,159 --> 00:14:20,919 Yeah, first time. Yeah, I didn't turn out the way you wanted, 195 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:22,960 I know, obviously with LSU winning the title, but cool experience for 196 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:26,000 you to go to the College World Series, no doubt, especially in my 197 00:14:26,039 --> 00:14:30,120 first year at Florida. It was my second time going there. I went 198 00:14:30,159 --> 00:14:33,600 in two thousand and five when I was with Tulane University and that was a 199 00:14:33,639 --> 00:14:35,559 bit of a short stay and it was at the old Park. I got 200 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:39,639 to do games at Rosenblack, which I'm really grateful that I did get to 201 00:14:39,639 --> 00:14:43,639 to work in that venue. It was a bucket list item at the time. 202 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:46,279 It's still a bucket list item. It should be for really any baseball 203 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:50,480 fan. But you know, you go into this year, I thought, 204 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:52,960 I thought, Jason, it was one of the best fields we've seen in 205 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:56,639 a long long time. And I'm talking about all the eight teams that were 206 00:14:56,679 --> 00:15:00,000 there. I thought all eight teams were just dynabite. And sure enough, 207 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:03,559 when you have that, we got great games, great games all the way 208 00:15:03,559 --> 00:15:07,000 through the College World Series. And yeah, with the were the last two 209 00:15:07,039 --> 00:15:13,080 games weird? Yes, Florida won by twenty in Game two and then lose 210 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:16,759 by you whatever, it was eleven or twelve or in the finale. No, 211 00:15:16,879 --> 00:15:22,279 I mean that that's what was so weird about how it finished. But 212 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:24,320 I think the two best teams played for it in the ends and that's what 213 00:15:24,399 --> 00:15:28,919 you want. And thirteen days anywhere is a long time. But if it's 214 00:15:28,919 --> 00:15:31,840 got to be anywhere, why not Omaha, Nebraska and June. So it 215 00:15:31,879 --> 00:15:35,320 was that was a great way to kick it off. Did you contribute to 216 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:39,080 the shot? The shot count at the restronter that all LSU people. Now, 217 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:43,759 it was a lot of LSU people, And look look Florida fans who 218 00:15:43,759 --> 00:15:46,279 were there. They had a little taste and all that. I just kind 219 00:15:46,279 --> 00:15:50,320 of got into this motive. They if they want the Jello trophy, knock 220 00:15:50,399 --> 00:15:54,279 yourself out. I was pulling for the big trophy. Unfortunately for us, 221 00:15:54,399 --> 00:15:58,159 LSU took the Jello Trophy and the big trophy got the town. So yeah, 222 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:00,080 it's just the way it happened. They're not gonna there's many many drinking 223 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:03,879 contests around the country to l ls. Who's gonna win them all? Most 224 00:16:03,919 --> 00:16:07,360 of the time. Yeah, and then especially when they're big boy money guys 225 00:16:07,879 --> 00:16:11,360 throw thrill with the money. I don't like that's right, you know the 226 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:15,519 guy that owns racing knes and all that stuff. Yeah, Todd Graves. 227 00:16:15,879 --> 00:16:18,879 All right, all right, let's get to the Gators. Six and seventy 228 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:21,879 billion napiers year one, we're coming into year two. The Gators have not 229 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:26,240 had three straight losing seasons since back in the nineteen fifties, so we're trying 230 00:16:26,279 --> 00:16:30,159 to avoid that in year two. Coach Napier obviously the first question if he 231 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:33,360 wants to kind of get a feel of as a quarterback situation. Obviously you're 232 00:16:33,399 --> 00:16:37,440 watching a scrimmage right now, so you're gonna probably have a better feel here 233 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:40,360 in a few days of what the final decision is. But how do you 234 00:16:40,399 --> 00:16:42,279 think just that position in general, how do you think that is gonna unfold 235 00:16:42,279 --> 00:16:47,279 for the Gators. Yeah, you know, Coach Napier is not named a 236 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:52,039 starter yet. He might do so later today as we're visiting here on on 237 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:57,080 a Thursday. I think that he had he had said something about by the 238 00:16:57,159 --> 00:17:02,279 end of this week he wanted the name Arder. Obviously, he retains the 239 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:06,119 right to wait till next week if he wants to. But Jason, I 240 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:11,440 think I think all signs are pointing toward Graham Mertz being the lead guy coming 241 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:17,400 out of this thing. And he's he's the transfer from Wisconsin, and I 242 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:19,599 didn't have a real good read on him during spring football. I didn't know 243 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:23,000 really what to think I'm just being honest, but man, he's as he 244 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:29,880 had a great camp so far, and you can see the thirty two start 245 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:33,119 experience, whether it's how he runs the huddle, what his meeting room was 246 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:37,200 like, what the team feels like around him when he's on the field. 247 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:41,119 I think he's thrown very well, more so than he did in the spring. 248 00:17:42,519 --> 00:17:45,599 He can make all the throws and I had a question mark about that 249 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:51,559 as he drops the pass inside the five yard line to one of his tight 250 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:56,279 ends here as we speak. So I think he's the guy. I you 251 00:17:56,319 --> 00:18:00,039 know, obviously you're gonna miss the explosive plays that we out from Anthony Richardson 252 00:18:00,079 --> 00:18:04,480 a year ago. But I think if Mertz is the guy, this is 253 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:11,319 a more consistent quarterback for the Gators. He'll throw for better than fifty three 254 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:15,920 percent, he'll manage the game, and he'll beat you too. I mean 255 00:18:17,079 --> 00:18:19,319 sometimes we get we get that label of well, he's a good game manager. 256 00:18:19,799 --> 00:18:22,200 That's kind of like saying, bless your heart for God's sex. I 257 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:26,440 mean, come on, So, I think I think in this sense this 258 00:18:26,519 --> 00:18:30,039 is a positive as far as his managing of the game and whatnot. And 259 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:36,640 he's got guys around him. Obviously, he's got the talented running backs in 260 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:41,960 Montreal Johnson and Trevor Etn and there at the transfer from Tulane and Can't and 261 00:18:41,079 --> 00:18:45,119 can Carroll. We'll see how the offensive line is. I think that's a 262 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:49,400 question mark. Those five guys last year were so good. But Kingsley a 263 00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:52,759 glock in his back at center, I think he anchors that situation. Austin 264 00:18:52,799 --> 00:18:59,839 Barber No protects the quarterbacks blind side at left tackle, and we'll go from 265 00:18:59,839 --> 00:19:02,640 there. We'll see how this plays out. There's a couple of transfers involved, 266 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:07,400 but that's something to watch early around the quarterback situation. You know, 267 00:19:07,519 --> 00:19:10,720 I didn't leave you with any backups. But Jack Miller is obviously in that 268 00:19:10,759 --> 00:19:15,640 conversation and at a young name man named Max Brown. Also those in that 269 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:21,880 conversation with tulsa kid who really's got great feet and a rocket arm, just 270 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:26,000 a little more raw than say Mercer Miller is. That's your quarterback room. 271 00:19:26,039 --> 00:19:32,559 And then Ricky Pearsall Jason a wide receiver has been unguardable, unguardable during camp. 272 00:19:32,599 --> 00:19:34,599 I mean, obviously we knew how good he was last year. And 273 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:37,680 you hope, oh boy, I hope you get the same Ricky Well, 274 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:41,759 I think you're gonna get a better Ricky even now this year he's just been 275 00:19:41,039 --> 00:19:47,359 unbelievable. And then Kayla Douglas is going to factor in Marcus Burke. And 276 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:49,440 then you're young, You're really young at the rest of the wide receiver position, 277 00:19:49,519 --> 00:19:55,079 but really fast, Andy Jean, Adamzelle, Eugene Wilson. Those are 278 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:59,400 names of Dators fans, college football fans. I pick up pretty quick when 279 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:03,160 it comes to the game, and then I'm just running through the whole team. 280 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:06,359 That's been That's been the question with the Gators the last four or five 281 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:08,440 years. Do they have the electric the electric guy on the outside. I 282 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:11,799 know Pier Saul's good, there are there other guys that can step up and 283 00:20:11,839 --> 00:20:17,240 be that electric kind of wide dynamic wide receiver skill player. Yeah, those 284 00:20:17,279 --> 00:20:19,440 are the names I just gave you. Those are the guys that are gonna 285 00:20:19,559 --> 00:20:22,359 either be or will be down the road, you know, as they learn 286 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:26,559 the right route running and all that. I'll tell you here's the here's another 287 00:20:26,559 --> 00:20:30,680 guy that has really caught my eye during camp. And he's not a jet 288 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:36,599 like Ricky is or Mizelle or any Jean, but you know Willie Jackson's kid, 289 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:41,640 Khalil. Yeah, Khalil's had a really big jump here from what I 290 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:45,960 saw from him last year. Yeah, not the fastest guy in that group, 291 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:51,920 but a really good route runner and catches everything just like his dad practice 292 00:20:52,759 --> 00:20:56,599 just the same, same same deal, Right, Dad's a little taller think 293 00:20:56,640 --> 00:21:02,960 Khalil is, but he's a guy that's made a big jump going into the 294 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:06,759 season. I think like he may not be a starter, but he's going 295 00:21:06,799 --> 00:21:11,880 to be in this rotation. He's made that kind of an impact I think 296 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:15,920 in a lot of ways coming into last year, me getting to learn the 297 00:21:15,039 --> 00:21:18,759 landscape and everything else. As it turns out, for whatever reason, Khalil 298 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:22,920 was in some kind of a hole and had to work all the way out 299 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:26,279 of the hole. Then kind of gets stabilized. And now he's had this 300 00:21:26,319 --> 00:21:30,799 offseason to kind of set himself up to make this jump, and he's given 301 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:36,559 and with that comes the scholarship. He's put on full scholarship and and he's 302 00:21:36,599 --> 00:21:38,799 made them look good doing so by what he's done here in camp. So 303 00:21:40,599 --> 00:21:45,640 yeah, I think he factors in as well. How close his coach Napier 304 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:48,279 do you think to the roster construction? The way he wants. Obviously, 305 00:21:48,319 --> 00:21:52,880 it's a year or two of recruiting transfer Portal. How close do you think 306 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:57,440 he's to where he really thinks this roster can be another year, another year, 307 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:02,960 And then I say that, I say another year, but then let's 308 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:07,079 give that last chunk of the roster the year to develop in his system. 309 00:22:07,519 --> 00:22:11,839 So so this time next year, they're better and we're probably looking at just 310 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:15,799 about everybody being a Billy Napier guy, whether it's Portal or the recruiting classes 311 00:22:15,799 --> 00:22:19,759 of twenty three twenty four. And then we have to let that group kind 312 00:22:19,759 --> 00:22:22,480 of have a year in the system, and then I think we can say, 313 00:22:22,599 --> 00:22:27,079 okay, where do we feel like Billy Napier's program is now? You 314 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:32,519 and I both know patience is not a virtue here with our fan base, 315 00:22:33,799 --> 00:22:37,039 and I get it, and I'm okay with it, but sometimes we got 316 00:22:37,039 --> 00:22:42,839 to be patient a little bit. Remember what Napier walked into. I think, 317 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:47,400 I think you're going to see a dramatic difference just even this year. 318 00:22:47,599 --> 00:22:49,400 I mean, in a lot of ways. You better do a little homework 319 00:22:49,759 --> 00:22:53,400 and have a scorecard, as they say in baseball, to know a lot 320 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:59,799 of these new guys the rosters turned over in a big way. So of 321 00:22:59,799 --> 00:23:03,200 the Oscar was here in January, which is great because you're gonna turn over 322 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:06,480 a bunch of guys, you want them to be together at least a little 323 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:10,599 bit, in this case, eight months in the offseason program. But I 324 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:14,119 want to say we're talking about forty I'm the off on one or two here, 325 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:21,119 forty nine newcomers out of a total of one eighteen the one eight Keep 326 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:25,519 in mind the one eighteen includes walk ons too, So yeah, there'll be 327 00:23:25,599 --> 00:23:27,720 names. You recognize that there's a lot of guys that are going to be 328 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:33,680 impact players that are new to the Gators. But the good news is this, 329 00:23:36,039 --> 00:23:40,319 most everybody in that group brings a significant amount of experience. Like I 330 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:45,119 mentioned Graham, Graham Merts brings thirty two starts here to Florida. To Roger 331 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:48,160 Mitchell, who's going to be a big part of the linebacking group. He 332 00:23:48,279 --> 00:23:52,119 was a captain at Ohio State. R J. Molten, who's gonna be 333 00:23:52,119 --> 00:23:57,960 in the secondary, a leader at Michigan, and fresh start for him kind 334 00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:00,359 of the last thing he wants to do before hopefully making the jump to the 335 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:07,359 league. So when you combine the totally Division one snaps. In this transfer 336 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:14,440 class, it totals ten thousand plus, so that's significant. So you're you're 337 00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:18,960 bringing in experience and guys who fit your mold, all those things. So 338 00:24:19,319 --> 00:24:29,160 the defense was historically awful last year. Uh, this defense is much improved. 339 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:37,480 Armstrong yep whose energy is contagious. Guys love them. What's the scheme? 340 00:24:37,519 --> 00:24:41,160 What is it? Is it a blitzing scheme for three three four? 341 00:24:41,359 --> 00:24:45,559 It's it's aggressive, but you can't even call it a three four four three 342 00:24:45,799 --> 00:24:51,720 or monster it's it's Uh. It changes a lot, like Jason. Sometimes 343 00:24:51,759 --> 00:24:56,519 they'll be one linebacker yea. Sometimes they'll have a traditional two middle and you 344 00:24:56,519 --> 00:24:57,920 know you'll see Will Sam and might come to the field at the same time. 345 00:25:00,039 --> 00:25:03,599 It I just know this. It's big upfront, bigger than it has 346 00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:07,160 been here in the last several years, really big upfront. So the offensive 347 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:10,920 line is too. Offensive line will probably end up being the second biggest in 348 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:18,359 the SEC. So you'll notice right away Florida's defense is big upfront and and 349 00:25:18,519 --> 00:25:23,160 quick off the edge. Justice Boon, Princely, Umami Ellen Principal guys off 350 00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:30,960 the edge right now and then young but more skilled in the secondary, and 351 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:33,480 that's gonna you know, safety. Safety is a position where I'm like, 352 00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:41,799 let's see how this goes. Corner. I think you're probably okay. They've 353 00:25:41,799 --> 00:25:45,359 always been good at corner. Florida has always been good at corner, right 354 00:25:45,759 --> 00:25:48,920 right. But collectively though, I would say though, the secondary of the 355 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:51,920 last two years, if you look at them as a unit, has been 356 00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:56,720 shaky sometimes okay, and the and the defensive numbers bear that out. The 357 00:25:56,759 --> 00:26:00,039 last two years, Florida fans will tell you we can't have this. I 358 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:03,640 get it, especially last year. So they're gonna have to be better on 359 00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:07,319 third down. Yeah, that was a pretty ball hawking defense last year, 360 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:11,240 but you know coach said not but a week or two ago. Yeah, 361 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:15,039 I mean sometimes numbers are deceiving. And I'm talking about coach Armstrong with a 362 00:26:15,079 --> 00:26:18,680 new defensive coordinator. Yeah, so we want to we wont takeaways. You 363 00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:22,200 know, we're we're plus I'm taking the football away. But if you can't 364 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:25,839 get off the field on third down, and sometimes third and long doesn't matter, 365 00:26:26,799 --> 00:26:30,640 the gates it, you know, it neutralizes that. So so we'll 366 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:34,799 see. I think the bottom line is this, Jason, I get why 367 00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:40,559 folks are predicting where the Gators are going to finish, whether it be win 368 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:47,039 loss, record or standings sec wise, division wise. I get it, 369 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:52,720 But I think this is going to turn out to be a situation where the 370 00:26:52,759 --> 00:26:56,759 Gators are better than people think they are. Are they contending for something this 371 00:26:56,839 --> 00:27:02,079 year? Now I'm just being realistic now, but they're they're they're better than 372 00:27:02,079 --> 00:27:04,680 people think they are. And you hope that this is the this takes the 373 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:07,640 step toward that. Like I said that the Big twenty four class, which 374 00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:11,720 according to those who rank those things, is gonna end up be in top 375 00:27:11,759 --> 00:27:14,519 three probably with that trick. Two more questions, I'll get you out of 376 00:27:14,559 --> 00:27:17,440 here. Looking at the schedule, you got you gotta obviously the first game, 377 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:21,039 the rematch with Utah this time in Salt Lake City. Then you have 378 00:27:21,079 --> 00:27:25,079 Tennessee in week three. How important is it for Florida to figure out a 379 00:27:25,079 --> 00:27:27,559 way to get one of those two wins out of the gate? I mean, 380 00:27:27,799 --> 00:27:30,839 or at least play well. I mean, that's the thing. If 381 00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:33,160 you lose and play good, you can live with that, but don't go 382 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:37,720 out and get blown out twice in your in your first three weeks. Yeah, 383 00:27:37,799 --> 00:27:38,559 now, you know, speaking of playing out of the hole. Then 384 00:27:38,599 --> 00:27:41,799 you're really playing out of a hole. You're probably one and two at that 385 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:45,279 point, and the and the the hard part of your schedule or the harder 386 00:27:45,319 --> 00:27:49,759 part of your schedule still to come. Sure, we'll know a lot obviously. 387 00:27:49,920 --> 00:27:52,759 I mean a road game, had a very good Utah team against a 388 00:27:52,839 --> 00:27:56,000 very good head coach who would really like to get back at ship for what 389 00:27:56,039 --> 00:28:00,680 happened last year in Gamesville. You know, the Gas are going on the 390 00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:03,160 road with a with a team learning about each other and play it altitude, 391 00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:07,640 all challenges, right, But if you win that game, you've got a 392 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:11,079 chance to be two and no when Tennessee comes to the Swamp in Week three, 393 00:28:11,759 --> 00:28:18,920 And I think I think that to avoid the whole, but you better 394 00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:23,920 take advantage of what you have in front of you at home this year based 395 00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:30,160 on how the schedule is gonna lay out, and look, Tennessee is predicted 396 00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:34,759 to be good just fine again. Yeah right, so, and nothing's gonna 397 00:28:34,799 --> 00:28:41,160 come easy for this football team. But if they can look my partner, 398 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:48,640 Shane Matthews, he's really optimistic, Shane saying Gators win a minimum of eighty. 399 00:28:51,599 --> 00:28:53,880 I'm not so sure. I'm ready to go all in on that. 400 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:59,119 Again, like I said, I'm holding with the I think they're better than 401 00:28:59,119 --> 00:29:02,759 people think they are. But look, he nailed it last year. He 402 00:29:02,799 --> 00:29:04,400 said this team will be lucky to win six and that's exactly what happened. 403 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:08,400 So and by the way, he's pretty smart at football. He's right there. 404 00:29:11,319 --> 00:29:15,279 So I hope he's right. I hope he's right. But but if 405 00:29:15,279 --> 00:29:18,039 he's right, that means though, Jason, you beat Tennessee at home and 406 00:29:18,119 --> 00:29:23,079 we three right, otherwise you're you're up against it. Because as you've seen 407 00:29:23,119 --> 00:29:30,640 on that Florida schedule, there's some there's some swings there. Stretching Carolina George 408 00:29:30,799 --> 00:29:36,400 at at Missouri is gonna be no picnic I can tell you that right now. 409 00:29:37,839 --> 00:29:41,559 Florida State at the end. And and if if they are what people 410 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:47,200 say they are, they can be playing for an ACC championship. They could 411 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:51,599 be playing for a lot of things. If Seminole fans hope the coast the 412 00:29:51,599 --> 00:29:55,440 way they say it's gonna go, I have different feelings about that, but 413 00:29:55,759 --> 00:30:00,920 you know that's okay. Didn't didn't take me long to get based, did 414 00:30:03,359 --> 00:30:07,759 so. Look at Daunting and then the twenty four schedules I mean brutal as 415 00:30:07,799 --> 00:30:15,200 well. I mean you're you're you're entering two of arguably the toughest schedules Florida 416 00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:21,000 has ever played. Again, you want to argue with me about eras and 417 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:22,960 all that kind of stuff, go right ahead. But if we're just talking 418 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:29,119 about strength of schedule based on either what those teams did your prior what they're 419 00:30:29,119 --> 00:30:33,920 projected to have rosterized, I think you'd have a hard time saying that there's 420 00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:37,359 been a more difficult two season stretch than what they're about to begin here this 421 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:41,240 year. All right, last thing, tell Gator fans where they can find 422 00:30:41,279 --> 00:30:44,519 the Gator broadcast if they don't have a Gator radio affiliate in their town, 423 00:30:44,799 --> 00:30:48,640 where can they find under broadcasts? There's a couple of ways. And you 424 00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:52,400 know, that's the fun thing about where radio is going and podcasting and everything 425 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:56,680 else, is that we still have that terrestrial network as you describe. It's 426 00:30:56,720 --> 00:31:00,279 a very great and strong radio network with a affiliate. It's all over Florida 427 00:31:00,319 --> 00:31:07,079 and beyond. But now you know it's available on the Florida Gators app quite 428 00:31:07,079 --> 00:31:11,240 easily, as a matter of fact, Varsity app through I think that's a 429 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:14,319 you know, that's a lear Field product. It's a cool thing in that, 430 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:17,240 you know, like when I'm not working, I can bounce around and 431 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:19,839 I can catch games all over the country. So it's it's as easy to 432 00:31:19,839 --> 00:31:23,240 put it on your phone and stream that in your car or at the house 433 00:31:23,279 --> 00:31:26,720 on the on the on the bluetooth in the house now, so you know 434 00:31:26,799 --> 00:31:30,680 everybody. It talks about how radio is an old entire medium, I think 435 00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:34,480 it's actually getting new legs here with the ability for folks to kind of have 436 00:31:34,559 --> 00:31:38,960 it anywhere at any point. You know. The only other thing is sometimes 437 00:31:40,039 --> 00:31:44,599 there's that delay or it's off the TV screen, so you know you can 438 00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:47,039 pause this, pause that and try and match them up. But at the 439 00:31:47,119 --> 00:31:49,240 end of the day, you have the radio end of it. Over the 440 00:31:49,279 --> 00:31:52,720 year and then and I'm glad you mentioned you have the ability to listen online 441 00:31:52,759 --> 00:31:56,839 now or through a streaming device. So thanks for bringing that up, and 442 00:31:56,079 --> 00:32:00,000 as always, thanks for having me you got man. We were really appreciate 443 00:32:00,079 --> 00:32:01,799 had time enjoy the year up in the broadcast, Boots, you and Shane 444 00:32:01,799 --> 00:32:06,680 Matthews do a great job on the call. You can find sewn on Twitter 445 00:32:06,799 --> 00:32:09,359 or x or whatever the heck. We're calling it these days at Shawn Kelly 446 00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:15,000 k E L L e y Live at Shawn Kelly Live on Twitter. He 447 00:32:15,039 --> 00:32:16,880 puts some great stuff up. Keep up the great work with ESPN. We'll 448 00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:21,400 see on down the road and have a great football season with the Gators. 449 00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:22,960 All right, Thanks Jason, we'll talk to us we get closer to the 450 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:28,440 ball games. Appreciate, have a great season. Take care Take Care now. 451 00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:34,279 Award from our partners at Print and Marketing Solutions as well as Star Alvarado 452 00:32:34,519 --> 00:32:37,559 our real liftor here on the podcast. If you have any buying and selling 453 00:32:37,599 --> 00:32:43,200 needs anywhere in the Bay Area, reach out to Star Alvarado eight one three 454 00:32:43,279 --> 00:32:46,279 five three eight nine five seven two. She can help you on the selling 455 00:32:46,319 --> 00:32:51,240 side or the buying side of any real estate transaction here in the Tampa Bay 456 00:32:51,279 --> 00:32:55,119 area from Saint Pete to Tampa to Wesley Chapel and anywhere in between. Reach 457 00:32:55,160 --> 00:33:00,839 out to Star Alvarado eight one three five three eight nine seven two. And 458 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:07,400 it's Print and Marketing Solutions. My guy Todd Tedesco eight one three four nine 459 00:33:07,480 --> 00:33:12,240 eight two eight eight seven. Todd's located on the corner of Lineball and Gun 460 00:33:12,319 --> 00:33:15,720 Highway over in Carrollwood, Todd can help you with all of your print and 461 00:33:15,759 --> 00:33:21,480 supply needs, corporate events, golf tournaments, signs and banners, marketing pieces, 462 00:33:21,559 --> 00:33:28,000 color copies, anything in between. Todd is your print and marketing specialist. 463 00:33:28,359 --> 00:33:32,759 Again, Print and marketing Specialists, Todd Tedesco eight one, three four 464 00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:38,480 nine, eight two eight eight seven. All right, welcome back Powers on 465 00:33:38,519 --> 00:33:44,480 Sports podcast. We're doing a simulcast podcast here along with the Florida Football Insiders 466 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:50,160 podcast as well, and it's now time to preview the top ten rated Florida 467 00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:54,039 State Seminoles as they head into year three of coach Mike Norvelle. They have 468 00:33:54,119 --> 00:33:59,920 an opening week showdown with LSU in Orlando on the Sunday of Labor Day Week 469 00:34:00,039 --> 00:34:04,640 and so a huge opener for the Seminoles and no better person to preview the 470 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:07,360 seminole roster in the program than the voice of the Florida State Seminals, the 471 00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:12,920 director of broadcasting at Florida State one at, Jeff Coolhan. Welcome back to 472 00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:16,360 the podcast, Jeff Jason always great, appreciate you having me on the show. 473 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:20,480 And man, I can't wait for September the third. I know Nels 474 00:34:20,519 --> 00:34:22,119 fans are ready to get to Orlando. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, it's 475 00:34:22,159 --> 00:34:25,760 gonna be a obviously with the classic finish you had last year in New Orleans, 476 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:29,800 with the with the block extra point and all that great and the great 477 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:32,519 year floor State coming off at ten and three year, five and three in 478 00:34:32,519 --> 00:34:37,119 the ACC Top ten finish. It's the highest rated Florida State team in a 479 00:34:37,159 --> 00:34:43,679 while. Here. Obviously a lot of expectations within the program around Tallahassee nationally, 480 00:34:43,719 --> 00:34:46,960 even that this is potentially a college football playoff team. Talk about you 481 00:34:47,039 --> 00:34:51,119 just you being around the team in the spring and in the summer. Is 482 00:34:51,159 --> 00:34:54,920 this group ready to handle those kind of expectations of not just being competitive again, 483 00:34:55,159 --> 00:35:00,719 but we're talking winning big? Yeah? You know that is the number 484 00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:06,800 one question, right. I remember talking about this last spring with a lot 485 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:12,599 of people, and you know it is. It's an intriguing conversation piece because 486 00:35:13,119 --> 00:35:16,320 you go from expectations this time last year of hey, we just want to 487 00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:20,800 get to a bowl game, right, I mean it's been a minute and 488 00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:23,519 all of a sudden, you got ten wins, You beat LSU, you 489 00:35:23,639 --> 00:35:28,440 beat Miami Florida in Oklahoma, and you're thinking, oh, okay, this 490 00:35:28,480 --> 00:35:30,239 is this is fun, Like this is this is what it used to be 491 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:35,760 all about. And so you know, the answer to that, I take 492 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:42,119 the answer from Mike Norvell because you know, he is obviously leading the charge 493 00:35:42,159 --> 00:35:45,199 here with what he has done into year four and the culture he is instilled 494 00:35:45,199 --> 00:35:52,000 with his coaching staff and the players and everybody around the program. And you 495 00:35:52,039 --> 00:35:57,360 know, he basically has said in in you know, answering this question, 496 00:35:58,519 --> 00:36:04,039 if we would have listened to everyone with expectations this time last year, nobody 497 00:36:04,039 --> 00:36:07,199 expected us to be any good, So we shouldn't have thought that we were 498 00:36:07,199 --> 00:36:10,159 supposed to be good. And if we keep listening to everybody on the outside 499 00:36:10,159 --> 00:36:14,960 of our you know, our walls, then we're doing it the wrong way. 500 00:36:15,079 --> 00:36:19,960 And so, you know, it's it's however you want to categorize it, 501 00:36:20,039 --> 00:36:22,519 whether you call it cliche, it's what. It's what the process is 502 00:36:22,599 --> 00:36:28,960 with Mike Norvelle's football program at Florida State and a coach Norvelle lad team, 503 00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:31,320 and so you know, they want to get better every day. Uh, 504 00:36:31,599 --> 00:36:38,000 they're not obviously looking ahead to anything in November or December or January. They're 505 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:43,719 looking at today and tomorrow when when that day comes, right, And so 506 00:36:44,519 --> 00:36:47,920 it's it's sort of the you know, the coach speak answer, I guess. 507 00:36:49,119 --> 00:36:52,760 But we're gonna find out a lot early in the season. It's almost 508 00:36:52,760 --> 00:36:57,840 like it's Tiger Month with LSU and Clemson in game one in Game four, 509 00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:00,519 So we're gonna know a lot about this football team and where they stack up 510 00:37:00,719 --> 00:37:06,039 in accordance to the national landscape of college football. But I can tell you 511 00:37:06,119 --> 00:37:08,880 they are, they're working, and they're ready to go out and win. 512 00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:13,159 And we're gonna talk about the roster and the returning guys. You got a 513 00:37:13,199 --> 00:37:15,280 lot of guys that could have gone to the NFL and came back, and 514 00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:16,440 we're gonna talk about that in just a minute. First thing I want to 515 00:37:16,480 --> 00:37:20,119 talk about talk about and I know a lot of teams don't do this, 516 00:37:20,159 --> 00:37:22,320 but I saw this in your Twitter feed, which you can find at Jeff 517 00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:28,000 Colhane cul h a n E. Florida State took a little road trip to 518 00:37:28,079 --> 00:37:30,960 Jacksonville, a little team bonding, seems like. Talk about that little road 519 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:34,840 trip to Jacksonville and kind of what coach Norville was trying to get out of 520 00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:38,840 that. Yeah, it's it's almost mimicking a road game per se, but 521 00:37:38,880 --> 00:37:44,280 it's also you know, it's it's the first week of campus. In the 522 00:37:44,320 --> 00:37:46,119 books, you're starting to kind of get into a little bit of a routine 523 00:37:46,159 --> 00:37:51,199 and then boom, you zapp your guys with a little change and you take 524 00:37:51,280 --> 00:37:54,280 them out of their comfort zone and you take them out to unf where they 525 00:37:54,280 --> 00:37:58,000 don't have a football program, obviously, but if you've got a field set 526 00:37:58,079 --> 00:38:01,039 up for them and the stare did a great job. You put them in 527 00:38:01,119 --> 00:38:06,400 dorm rooms that maybe aren't what the guys are accustomed to, and you get 528 00:38:06,480 --> 00:38:10,159 him out of town for a few days and sort of recalibrate a little bit 529 00:38:10,199 --> 00:38:15,880 and shock the system. It was hot, obviously, there's no shade, 530 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:20,320 there's no trees, there's no indoor to go into when you have a you 531 00:38:20,360 --> 00:38:23,159 know, a few periods off, you are in the sun, and you're 532 00:38:23,239 --> 00:38:27,199 you're learning a lot about how tough you can be, and so, you 533 00:38:27,239 --> 00:38:30,599 know, as tough as as you can push guys in this era of college 534 00:38:30,599 --> 00:38:35,320 football with no two days or even three days with some guys, you know, 535 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:38,239 you go back to watching some of the old school movies and and how 536 00:38:38,239 --> 00:38:45,800 it all worked. But I think it's coach Norvelle's way of building camaraderie and 537 00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:49,119 pushing these guys to show them that, yeah, there's a little bit more 538 00:38:49,159 --> 00:38:52,679 you can dig into and go find. Even on top of what we're asking 539 00:38:52,719 --> 00:38:55,840 you to do, you face adversity, you come together a little bit. 540 00:38:55,880 --> 00:39:04,920 There's obviously it's not just practice. Are events and meetings and group team bonding 541 00:39:05,079 --> 00:39:08,559 exercises that bring this group together. So he's been doing it every every year 542 00:39:08,599 --> 00:39:12,920 since he's got here. I like it. I think it's unique. I 543 00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:17,280 think it's a nice twist in the fall camp and it takes you out of 544 00:39:17,280 --> 00:39:21,079 your comfort zone a little bit and shows you what you're capable of in the 545 00:39:21,079 --> 00:39:22,920 face of adversity. I like it. I do like that. I like 546 00:39:23,039 --> 00:39:27,519 that getting, like I said, breaking the monotony of training camp a little 547 00:39:27,519 --> 00:39:30,119 bit and doing some different things. All right, let's get to the roster 548 00:39:30,159 --> 00:39:31,639 a little bit. You've got a bunch of returning guys that could have gone 549 00:39:31,679 --> 00:39:37,920 to the NFL trade, you know, Jared Verse, Travis George, Travis, 550 00:39:37,199 --> 00:39:40,000 Trey Benson, a lot of guys came back that could have gone and 551 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:44,480 made some money in the NFL. Talk about just the returning guys and the 552 00:39:44,519 --> 00:39:47,159 experience level, how how much those guys are almost like coaches on the field 553 00:39:47,199 --> 00:39:52,119 that coach Norvelle doesn't have to do as much of that policing. He's got 554 00:39:52,119 --> 00:39:53,480 such a veteran group. Yeah, it's a good way to put it, 555 00:39:53,679 --> 00:39:58,159 Jason. It is. It's a huge part of it. I think any 556 00:39:58,519 --> 00:40:01,639 what I've learned around college aletics and really sports in general at every level is 557 00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:07,719 the great teams are player led, and they are obviously held accountable by their 558 00:40:07,760 --> 00:40:13,599 coaching staff, but the great ones are held accountable within the locker. And 559 00:40:13,679 --> 00:40:15,559 I think that's what you have here right now. And all of these guys 560 00:40:15,639 --> 00:40:20,760 that could have went on and and made some money in the National Football League, 561 00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:23,159 and Jared versus case, he was a first round projection, but it 562 00:40:23,239 --> 00:40:27,559 made a lot of money, they wanted to come back, and they wanted 563 00:40:27,559 --> 00:40:30,639 to do it together, and that doesn't happen very often in college athletics. 564 00:40:30,719 --> 00:40:34,559 Right now, it really is almost sort of a you know, an old 565 00:40:34,599 --> 00:40:39,440 throwback with with what we're seeing. And so you have that that player led 566 00:40:39,480 --> 00:40:45,159 mentality, that player led culture, instilled by Mike Norvelle and instilled by this 567 00:40:45,239 --> 00:40:51,519 coaching staff, Jason, and it breeds excitement, but it also it breeds 568 00:40:52,400 --> 00:40:55,199 Yeah, yeah, the blueprint also for the future as well for the younger 569 00:40:55,239 --> 00:40:58,519 guys, like, hey, yeah, we could have made a ton of 570 00:40:58,519 --> 00:41:02,119 money. And in the era of il these guys are are obviously making some 571 00:41:02,159 --> 00:41:07,760 money, which I'm totally fine with, but they're showing the younger guys that, 572 00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:09,320 hey, this is how we do it here, this is how you 573 00:41:09,360 --> 00:41:13,320 hold each other accountable, and this is how you win big. And so 574 00:41:14,519 --> 00:41:19,360 it's why Florida State's a top ten team in both polls in the preseason and 575 00:41:19,400 --> 00:41:22,199 why they're challenging Clemson to kind of unseat the Tigers at the top of the 576 00:41:22,199 --> 00:41:27,159 ACC this season. Looking at the roster looks like it by my account of 577 00:41:27,159 --> 00:41:30,159 looks like there's eleven transfers that came in, plus the high school kids of 578 00:41:30,199 --> 00:41:34,079 those transfers. Give me a couple of names that you really think are going 579 00:41:34,119 --> 00:41:37,199 to make an impact on the on the whether it's the first or second deep. 580 00:41:37,440 --> 00:41:39,920 As far as the roster of guys that you really think are gonna play 581 00:41:39,960 --> 00:41:44,719 a bunch, Well, I always answer this question the same way. To 582 00:41:44,760 --> 00:41:49,159 me, it starts with jahim Bell on offense, because I think he is 583 00:41:49,719 --> 00:41:54,880 versatile. You see what he has done in South Carolina. Yes, catching 584 00:41:54,880 --> 00:42:01,039 the football running the football. He is a tremendou this tremendous ad along with 585 00:42:01,119 --> 00:42:06,239 Kyle Morlock, the two time D two All American that came in from Shorter, 586 00:42:06,320 --> 00:42:09,280 who is a big bodied wide you know, tight end wide receiver that 587 00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:14,239 can catch the ball and also block. I know Mike Norvelle is excited about 588 00:42:14,280 --> 00:42:17,920 Keyon Coleman because Keon Coleman is a pro. Could have went to the NFL, 589 00:42:19,079 --> 00:42:22,039 but he's from Louisiana. He told everybody that, hey, he went 590 00:42:22,079 --> 00:42:25,880 to Michigan State, but he wanted to come back to the South because it's 591 00:42:25,880 --> 00:42:30,599 just different. College football is just different in the South, and so he 592 00:42:30,679 --> 00:42:34,960 came to Florida State. It's it's going to be a great opportunity for Noel's 593 00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:38,679 fans to see two big wide receivers and Johnny Wilson and Keyon Coleman out on 594 00:42:38,679 --> 00:42:42,960 the field at the same time at six seven and six four, which is 595 00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:46,519 really exciting to talk about. But I think what the transfer portal has done, 596 00:42:46,599 --> 00:42:53,320 Jason, it's it's been able to infuse both lines of scrimmage with experience 597 00:42:53,400 --> 00:42:59,400 and talent at times where both of those position groups needed that more so than 598 00:42:59,440 --> 00:43:01,760 any other group on this team, I feel like you go back three years, 599 00:43:01,760 --> 00:43:05,599 you go to twenty twenty, he was the youngest offensive line in college 600 00:43:05,599 --> 00:43:09,199 football, and it showed now. According to Phil Steele, it's the most 601 00:43:09,440 --> 00:43:14,400 experienced offensive line he has seen in all of his years of getting ready for 602 00:43:14,440 --> 00:43:17,320 his preseason college football preview. Ever with the guys they have brought in with 603 00:43:17,400 --> 00:43:23,639 Jeremiah Buyers and Casey Roddick and KeAndre Jones and returners like Maurice Smith and Demitria 604 00:43:23,679 --> 00:43:28,639 Manuel, Robert Scott and Darius Washington. So now you got seven eight deep 605 00:43:28,719 --> 00:43:32,360 on the offensive line, and you're eight nine, potentially ten deep on the 606 00:43:32,400 --> 00:43:37,360 defensive line. And I'll give you a name defensively, it's it's too bad 607 00:43:37,440 --> 00:43:40,599 Darryl Jackson's waiver did not go through. That could be a whole another podcast 608 00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:45,639 for a whole nother day. But I think Brydon Fisk, when you see 609 00:43:45,719 --> 00:43:49,360 him with pads on, he is a mean looking dude that's got a motor, 610 00:43:50,440 --> 00:43:52,199 and I think Nole's fans are gonna fall in love with number fifty five 611 00:43:52,960 --> 00:43:57,119 this upcoming season. Well, let's stay on the defensive side and then we'll 612 00:43:57,119 --> 00:44:00,519 get a quarterback question after that Jared Verse, obviously we know what he is 613 00:44:00,559 --> 00:44:05,639 all all ACC defensive end. You mentioned Fisk, the secondary, four returning 614 00:44:05,639 --> 00:44:10,519 guys in the secondary. You got an Virginia transfer All ACC another dB back 615 00:44:10,559 --> 00:44:14,800 there that seemed to be a little bit of a weak link last year. 616 00:44:14,880 --> 00:44:20,639 Talk about the importance of the secondary growing into the position. Yeah, you 617 00:44:20,639 --> 00:44:25,239 know. I think the secondary is a group that has also been helped. 618 00:44:25,320 --> 00:44:30,880 You mentioned Fentrell Cyprus his addition, who's an all ACC corner out of Uva. 619 00:44:30,440 --> 00:44:35,599 Your return Ernardo Green, you return Jari and Jones, Azaria Thomas, 620 00:44:36,159 --> 00:44:38,280 so you have depth there. I think a guy that we need to talk 621 00:44:38,320 --> 00:44:43,880 more about that we will talk more about it is Kevin Knowles. Kevin Knowles 622 00:44:44,079 --> 00:44:46,519 is a guy that's played since he stepped on campus at that nickelback spot out 623 00:44:46,519 --> 00:44:51,400 of Hollywood, and he has gained almost thirty pounds of muscle Jason, and 624 00:44:51,400 --> 00:44:54,280 they're moving him to safety and he can play both spots. You can play 625 00:44:54,360 --> 00:44:59,480 nickel, he can play corner. But I think they're looking at Kevin as 626 00:44:59,519 --> 00:45:02,280 a guy that can provide depth of the safety spot behind Shyheen Brown and the 627 00:45:02,360 --> 00:45:07,280 King Dent and being versatile. I think what you have in this era of 628 00:45:07,320 --> 00:45:12,559 college football, what Adam Fuller and Mike Norvell are doing. You aren't getting 629 00:45:13,360 --> 00:45:19,280 versatile playmakers in the secondary that can both cover and can come up and play 630 00:45:19,320 --> 00:45:22,239 the run where you don't feel like you have to have a roster loaded with 631 00:45:22,280 --> 00:45:27,199 a bunch of linebackers. And so when some of these guys left for the 632 00:45:27,239 --> 00:45:30,880 portal, some really good players a Mari gaynor Brendan Gant, You're kind of 633 00:45:30,920 --> 00:45:32,880 like, guy, there's gotta be something going on here. I think that's 634 00:45:32,960 --> 00:45:37,920 kind of the viewpoint. You got a lot of guys because offenses aren't line 635 00:45:37,000 --> 00:45:39,960 up and run at you three yards in the cloud of dust. They're gonna 636 00:45:39,960 --> 00:45:44,719 spread you out multiple formations. You gotta cover tight ends, you gotta you 637 00:45:44,760 --> 00:45:46,760 gotta cover guys in the slot. That's what this defense, I think is 638 00:45:46,800 --> 00:45:52,719 trying to do. And when you have the confidence in your front four to 639 00:45:52,800 --> 00:45:57,400 get to the quarterback without bringing extra pressure with the guys like Verse and Peyton 640 00:45:57,719 --> 00:46:00,960 and Gilbert Edmund who's also here from off Carolina. Ye haven't even talked about 641 00:46:01,000 --> 00:46:06,000 Fabian love It yet. Who is it was one of the most needed players 642 00:46:06,079 --> 00:46:08,639 last year and we saw and felt his absence when he got hurt in the 643 00:46:08,719 --> 00:46:13,599 run game. You feel good about what you can do in the secondary for 644 00:46:13,639 --> 00:46:15,840 a group that was a top rated past defense in the ACC last year. 645 00:46:16,800 --> 00:46:20,840 Back to the offense, obviously, Jordan Travis is going to be the trigger 646 00:46:20,880 --> 00:46:23,440 man here leading to charge. What I like is they've got guys behind him 647 00:46:23,480 --> 00:46:28,800 road a maker has played in won games, and so God forbid something happens 648 00:46:28,800 --> 00:46:30,719 to Jordan. You've got a guy that can come in and he's proven he 649 00:46:30,760 --> 00:46:34,639 can get the job done what he did at Louisville. You got a j 650 00:46:34,800 --> 00:46:37,519 Duffy, who's another guy that I know it's competing for the backup job. 651 00:46:37,760 --> 00:46:40,039 Just talk about the depth in that quarterback room. God forbid something happens to 652 00:46:40,119 --> 00:46:45,280 Jordan Travis. Yeah right, I mean knock on wood and we saw it 653 00:46:45,320 --> 00:46:47,280 a year ago. I mean that Louisville game. I think we should talk 654 00:46:47,280 --> 00:46:51,960 more about Jason. I mean that game as much as we talk about LSU 655 00:46:52,519 --> 00:46:57,360 in the state championship, right and rightly so in Oklahoma. And the Louisville 656 00:46:57,360 --> 00:47:05,119 game to me was an early season culture program defining win that that goes went 657 00:47:05,159 --> 00:47:07,159 a long way in last year's ten win season and so you know, Tay 658 00:47:07,280 --> 00:47:10,880 Rottenmaker kind of had a deer in the headlights look at the end of the 659 00:47:10,920 --> 00:47:15,960 second quarter in that one, and then they got him comfortable and he got 660 00:47:15,960 --> 00:47:19,280 comfortable and he was great, and the defense locked it in and did some 661 00:47:19,360 --> 00:47:22,880 great things. And of course they got the running game going with with Trey 662 00:47:22,880 --> 00:47:25,679 Benson and LT and Tray Shawn A Warden that game as well. But you 663 00:47:25,719 --> 00:47:30,880 know, I'll tell you this, Ta Rottamaker's experienced. AJ Duffy's very good. 664 00:47:31,199 --> 00:47:37,960 You hear what Mike Norvelle has said about brock Glenn, the true freshman 665 00:47:37,239 --> 00:47:42,239 who was originally committed to Ohio State, and it sounds like that young man 666 00:47:42,360 --> 00:47:45,639 is doing some very good things. I believe the quote was he doesn't process 667 00:47:45,719 --> 00:47:50,159 things like a true freshman. He's almost ahead of the curve. And so 668 00:47:50,239 --> 00:47:52,880 I'm not saying he's going to be the backup. I think it'll be Tate, 669 00:47:52,480 --> 00:47:58,840 But but keep an eye out for brock Glenn for even next season potentially 670 00:47:58,840 --> 00:48:02,119 when Jordan moves off, as that quarterback room will be in a competition next 671 00:48:02,159 --> 00:48:06,960 spring. Who for who the next starter will be in this offense. What's 672 00:48:07,000 --> 00:48:09,519 the one position group in your mind that if they can, if they can 673 00:48:09,559 --> 00:48:14,239 elevate their game a little bit to one more notch up or maybe two notches 674 00:48:14,320 --> 00:48:17,920 up, that this team can be college football playoff, national championship quality. 675 00:48:19,079 --> 00:48:22,599 It's boring, Jason, but it's the lines of scrimmage. It's the offensive 676 00:48:22,599 --> 00:48:28,039 and defensive line. We ran the football great last year. Six straight games 677 00:48:28,039 --> 00:48:32,239 of two hundred yards or more, you know, tying a school record, 678 00:48:34,559 --> 00:48:37,480 you know, thirty five straight game, thirty five points, six straight games 679 00:48:37,480 --> 00:48:42,760 in a row. That's the longest streak in college football right now. And 680 00:48:42,840 --> 00:48:45,199 so correct myself, I think it's seven straight games of touring yards are more 681 00:48:45,239 --> 00:48:50,199 or last season nearly a school record of eight. But but if the offensive 682 00:48:50,280 --> 00:48:57,119 line can take another step forwarded in continuing to carve out running lanes for Trey, 683 00:48:57,159 --> 00:49:00,679 Benson and LT and depend on who the third running back will be, 684 00:49:00,679 --> 00:49:05,480 whether it's Rodney Hill or Kazaiah Holmes or whoever it will be, it's gonna 685 00:49:05,480 --> 00:49:08,039 set the tone for this wide receiver corp and tight end group to get some 686 00:49:08,039 --> 00:49:12,559 some open looks in the passing game for Jordan. I think Jordan's going to 687 00:49:12,599 --> 00:49:15,360 be able to negate. You know, maybe a mistake here or there with 688 00:49:15,440 --> 00:49:19,519 his escapability and what he can do. But if the offensive line takes the 689 00:49:19,599 --> 00:49:22,800 next step and the defensive line can get better at stopping the run, that's 690 00:49:22,880 --> 00:49:28,239 also coupled with the linebacker corps. I think that's an area that certainly needs 691 00:49:28,239 --> 00:49:32,639 to improve slowing down the run. I think the lines of scrimmage, if 692 00:49:32,679 --> 00:49:37,480 they take two or three steps forward, this is going to be a team 693 00:49:37,480 --> 00:49:42,079 that we're talking about in November as a college football playoff team. Last positional 694 00:49:42,119 --> 00:49:45,159 question that we'll get to the schedule here. Special teams an area that I'm 695 00:49:45,320 --> 00:49:49,280 very familiar with and very that's very important. Florence State didn't kick the ball 696 00:49:49,400 --> 00:49:51,880 very well last year as far as in the field goal game. I know 697 00:49:51,920 --> 00:49:54,639 they brought in a transfer from East Tennessee State. You got Ryan Fitzgerald back. 698 00:49:55,039 --> 00:49:59,840 How important obviously, especially in this month of September, making the make 699 00:50:00,280 --> 00:50:02,840 field goals is going to be for Florida State. Yeah, it's huge, 700 00:50:02,880 --> 00:50:06,639 And that's a huge battle right now. I mean with Fitzy and you just 701 00:50:06,760 --> 00:50:10,960 celebrate a birthday the other day, and Tyler Keltner is a Tallahassee guy. 702 00:50:12,119 --> 00:50:15,440 Child's high school and so I actually met he and his mother in Orlando last 703 00:50:15,480 --> 00:50:19,840 year they were at the bowl game. He's a huge knoll. I mean, 704 00:50:19,880 --> 00:50:23,280 he's coming home to potentially be the full time kicker. It means a 705 00:50:23,320 --> 00:50:27,360 ton to him. And so you've got a great battle going on there with 706 00:50:27,400 --> 00:50:30,880 Tyler and with Fitzy right now. It's huge. You gotta make big kicks 707 00:50:30,920 --> 00:50:34,360 on the road, you know. I think about games a year ago. 708 00:50:34,400 --> 00:50:37,159 Wake Forrest was a game where if we make a few kicks, who knows 709 00:50:37,199 --> 00:50:44,519 how that that momentum changes in that game. It's in Ryan Fitzgerald's DNA. 710 00:50:44,599 --> 00:50:46,840 I truly believe that he just has to get off to a good start and 711 00:50:46,880 --> 00:50:50,800 get some confidence. He had some big kicks late in the year, a 712 00:50:50,880 --> 00:50:53,519 season ago, the game winner versus Oklahoma in the cheese and Bawl. He 713 00:50:53,599 --> 00:50:57,960 is more than capable, But you're right, it's gotta be better. He 714 00:50:58,039 --> 00:51:02,239 can't be twelve or twenty. Gotta be up in that higher percentage echelon of 715 00:51:02,599 --> 00:51:07,960 when a big time fresh las. Yeah, when you're up there, And 716 00:51:07,920 --> 00:51:10,880 I've always looked at this, and you can you know the position better than 717 00:51:10,920 --> 00:51:16,000 I do. In college, if you are able to consistently make field goals 718 00:51:16,000 --> 00:51:20,119 of forty yards or more, you are ahead of the game in college football 719 00:51:20,159 --> 00:51:22,559 and the NFL is usually it's fifty yards or more. With those guys, 720 00:51:23,559 --> 00:51:27,719 you can do that, it's gonna be a huge tool for you. In 721 00:51:27,760 --> 00:51:31,079 another area, Jason punt return is gonna be key. It's not a position 722 00:51:31,119 --> 00:51:35,960 you talk about a lot an area and Micah Pittman excelled in a year ago. 723 00:51:36,079 --> 00:51:40,599 Was that punt return spot and sounds simple in taking care of the football 724 00:51:40,679 --> 00:51:47,320 and controlling field position Keyan Coleman, Lawrence toe Feeley, Deston Hill. Who 725 00:51:47,360 --> 00:51:52,079 will be the newcomer that steps into that spot? And ask LSU how big 726 00:51:52,119 --> 00:51:55,800 of a position that was that cost them games a year ago? When you 727 00:51:55,920 --> 00:51:59,679 have to find a guy that can solidify that spot and just do the simple 728 00:51:59,719 --> 00:52:01,679 play and make it easy. All right, look at a couple more questions 729 00:52:01,679 --> 00:52:05,079 get you out here. Looking at the schedule. Obviously, we you've mentioned 730 00:52:05,119 --> 00:52:08,000 the month of September is going to be critical for Florida State at I mean 731 00:52:08,239 --> 00:52:13,119 LSU and Orlando and then four, then Week four at Clemson. Well again 732 00:52:13,159 --> 00:52:15,079 Week two week three are still important, but those are the two monster games. 733 00:52:15,440 --> 00:52:19,639 If they can get out of that game, that that gate at worst 734 00:52:19,679 --> 00:52:21,960 one and one. You can't go over with two or you're in big trouble. 735 00:52:22,239 --> 00:52:23,599 You can get out of there at least one and one. Remember the 736 00:52:23,639 --> 00:52:28,440 ACC is about it's a top two teams now, it's not divisional, So 737 00:52:28,559 --> 00:52:31,440 you could potentially see Clemson a second time if everybody does their work throughout the 738 00:52:31,480 --> 00:52:35,639 year. But how important it is, obviously with that first game especially, 739 00:52:35,840 --> 00:52:40,079 you can't waste these training camp days. These are these are critical. It 740 00:52:40,159 --> 00:52:44,079 sets the tone, you know, it sets the tone for the entire year, 741 00:52:44,480 --> 00:52:49,079 and you know for the energy year around the program and around the university 742 00:52:49,119 --> 00:52:52,800 heading into October as well, with three home games in a row on the 743 00:52:52,840 --> 00:52:55,559 schedule after the byweek, staring you straight in the face. I mean, 744 00:52:57,320 --> 00:53:00,519 you know, if we're four and oh coming out of that bye week and 745 00:53:00,639 --> 00:53:05,679 coming back to Dope, it's gonna be wild. You know, you know 746 00:53:05,800 --> 00:53:08,320 it, and it's gonna be wild. And those are three winnable games in 747 00:53:08,400 --> 00:53:14,079 Virginia Tech Syracuse. I think Duke is tougher than what people are going to 748 00:53:14,119 --> 00:53:16,480 give it credit for because Duke's not a sexy college football program. But they're 749 00:53:16,519 --> 00:53:21,800 they're a good team. They're a good team, right now and then I'll 750 00:53:21,840 --> 00:53:25,199 say two two big mental you know, check games for you. It's not 751 00:53:25,280 --> 00:53:30,639 the rivalry games. It's going to Wake Forrest and win it. And at 752 00:53:30,679 --> 00:53:35,599 Pitt November fourth, pit is the team in the last five years that has 753 00:53:35,639 --> 00:53:39,239 the second most wins in the ACC Right now. I mean, you know 754 00:53:39,280 --> 00:53:42,599 they're not again, they're not a team to talk about a lot, but 755 00:53:42,679 --> 00:53:45,920 they are a team that's pumped out NFL town and Patton Ardozy knows how to 756 00:53:45,920 --> 00:53:49,920 coach defense. They play physical. You could have some bad weather up there 757 00:53:49,960 --> 00:53:52,239 at that time of the year. Yeah, they're they're blue collar that matches 758 00:53:52,280 --> 00:53:57,679 the city that they're in. So it's not gonna be easy. It never 759 00:53:57,800 --> 00:54:00,320 is. You're gonna battle some injuries. You're gonna face it vert city. 760 00:54:00,400 --> 00:54:05,280 But with the head coach, with Mike Norvell and with the leaders that came 761 00:54:05,320 --> 00:54:07,960 back that bypassed the NFL, you'd like to believe and think that you have 762 00:54:08,039 --> 00:54:12,400 the leadership to be able to handle some of those, uh, some of 763 00:54:12,400 --> 00:54:15,400 those things you're gonna do. But during a regular season, all right, 764 00:54:15,440 --> 00:54:17,039 Jeff, tell everybody where they can find the Obviously, if they can't, 765 00:54:17,079 --> 00:54:20,639 if they don't have a Florida state affiliate in their town as far as the 766 00:54:20,679 --> 00:54:23,280 local radio. Tell aybody where they can find the broadcast on at the Florida 767 00:54:23,320 --> 00:54:28,239 State Athletic website. Things like that, you and Barnon on the call for 768 00:54:28,280 --> 00:54:31,880 another great year Florida State football. Yeah, thanks, Jason, looking forward 769 00:54:31,880 --> 00:54:36,039 to it with with Barnun and Tom Block and our entire crew. It's just 770 00:54:36,440 --> 00:54:39,000 they made my life so easy last year in replacing the great Gene decker Off. 771 00:54:39,039 --> 00:54:43,280 And I shouldn't say replacing you can't. Can't do that, you know, 772 00:54:43,400 --> 00:54:47,119 carrying on that that role. I actually heard I actually heard Jeane on 773 00:54:47,119 --> 00:54:51,400 an interview down here, and he was talking about how you and he text 774 00:54:51,440 --> 00:54:53,920 back and forth like fifty times a week. Yeah. I thought he was 775 00:54:53,960 --> 00:54:58,000 really talking about how much he liked out how well you were doing, and 776 00:54:58,719 --> 00:55:02,280 so he was, Yeah, he's the man. We have a text chain. 777 00:55:02,360 --> 00:55:06,840 We text during games. That's what he was saying. He was over 778 00:55:06,920 --> 00:55:09,800 and I think Munich last year with the Bucks in Germany, he was texting 779 00:55:09,840 --> 00:55:14,920 at four in the morning during the Syracuse game. So we have a lot 780 00:55:14,960 --> 00:55:17,679 of fun. It's a great group and the easiest way to find us if 781 00:55:17,719 --> 00:55:21,960 you can't, If you don't have an affiliate in your hometown. We usually 782 00:55:22,000 --> 00:55:25,440 we pretty much shot everywhere in the state, but checkout seminoles dot com or 783 00:55:25,480 --> 00:55:30,519 you can download the FSU Game Day app. It's free to download. You 784 00:55:30,559 --> 00:55:34,519 can listen to us on your mobile device anywhere you go. Well, Jeff 785 00:55:34,559 --> 00:55:36,960 Man, you're doing a great job. Keep up the great work, and 786 00:55:36,960 --> 00:55:38,360 look forward to an awesome year. I'm gonna get up there for one of 787 00:55:38,400 --> 00:55:44,239 these home games this year, and let's get us back in that playoff man, 788 00:55:44,280 --> 00:55:45,800 where we belong. Hey, I can't wait, Let's go. It's 789 00:55:45,800 --> 00:55:50,280 where Florida State should be. As Mike Norvelle says, you expect to be 790 00:55:50,480 --> 00:55:54,320 talked about like this at Florida State University. So I can't wait. I'm 791 00:55:54,360 --> 00:55:57,760 happy and thankful to be a knowl and be a part of it. And 792 00:55:58,079 --> 00:56:00,000 Jason, thanks for having me on go Knows. Have a great call and 793 00:56:00,039 --> 00:56:06,760 have a great year of Jeff take care. And now a word from Titan 794 00:56:06,920 --> 00:56:10,079 Home Lending. Are you in the market to purchase your first time home, 795 00:56:10,639 --> 00:56:16,199 relocate to the state of Florida, or just purchase that second home or investment 796 00:56:16,239 --> 00:56:21,920 property. Well, if so, Titan Home Lending can help you get financing 797 00:56:22,159 --> 00:56:27,280 for that new home purchase. Reach out to Jason Powers two zero five seven 798 00:56:27,440 --> 00:56:31,320 nine zero one four zero four and I can help you get pre approved in 799 00:56:31,400 --> 00:56:36,400 less than one day. A pre approval is critical in order to make that 800 00:56:36,519 --> 00:56:39,400 offer on your home. You want to know how much of a home you 801 00:56:39,440 --> 00:56:43,719 can make an offer on, and getting a pre approval will allow you to 802 00:56:43,760 --> 00:56:49,320 do that. From an fh VA, conventional loan, jumbo loan, bank 803 00:56:49,400 --> 00:56:53,039 statement loans, there are numerous loan options out there to help you get into 804 00:56:53,079 --> 00:56:58,320 your house of your dreams. You can also renovate. You can do a 805 00:56:58,360 --> 00:57:02,639 renovation loan which will allow you to make home improvements and finance the costs into 806 00:57:02,639 --> 00:57:07,880 the loan. So reach out to Titan Home Lending anywhere in the state of 807 00:57:07,920 --> 00:57:14,199 Florida for your next home purchase. Two zero five seven nine zero one four 808 00:57:14,519 --> 00:57:20,719 zero four. All right, welcome back to our Powers on Sports and Florida 809 00:57:20,800 --> 00:57:27,719 Football Insider simulcast. Now next up, our next team preview is the University 810 00:57:27,760 --> 00:57:31,519 of South Florida Bulls. Year one of Alex Goldish as the new head coach 811 00:57:32,400 --> 00:57:38,360 former offensive coordinator at Tennessee comes down to South Florida places Jeff Scott, who 812 00:57:38,400 --> 00:57:43,480 was dismissed last year, and no better person to talk all things us HAVE 813 00:57:43,599 --> 00:57:47,719 Bulls and the state of Florida college football than Joey Johnston. Joey's a longtime 814 00:57:47,760 --> 00:57:52,880 media member here in the Temp Bay area, also does sideline work for the 815 00:57:52,960 --> 00:57:59,039 USF Bulls radio broadcast and all around sports savant here in the Temp Area. 816 00:57:59,079 --> 00:58:00,639 Welcome back, Joey, Thank you, Jason. Great to be here. 817 00:58:01,559 --> 00:58:04,760 All right, Before we get to USF, first of all, I know 818 00:58:04,800 --> 00:58:07,719 you're a big, big sports fan, tennis fan. We got the US 819 00:58:07,719 --> 00:58:10,159 Open start next week. You ever covered the US Open? Been up there? 820 00:58:10,639 --> 00:58:14,280 I have, I think six times. I was up there in the 821 00:58:14,519 --> 00:58:20,079 in the old Stadium, which was a very unique place. That one of 822 00:58:20,079 --> 00:58:22,440 the things I remember most about it was in the in the press box high 823 00:58:22,440 --> 00:58:27,599 above the old Lewis Armstrong Stadium. No one knew how to control the air 824 00:58:27,639 --> 00:58:30,679 conditioning. It was always on, and we always joked about getting your US 825 00:58:30,679 --> 00:58:34,519 Open cold. So if you were there for a whole two weeks, by 826 00:58:34,519 --> 00:58:38,360 the end of it, you're usually sick. But yeah, so US Open 827 00:58:38,480 --> 00:58:42,800 is is different than Wimbledon. I'll tell you that much. US Open is 828 00:58:42,880 --> 00:58:49,199 New York Night Tennis loud crowds, people that may or may not respect the 829 00:58:49,360 --> 00:58:52,800 wait until the changeovers to move around the stadium. They don't always do that. 830 00:58:52,920 --> 00:58:57,320 So it's it's a pretty cool event, and it's it's definitely a New 831 00:58:57,360 --> 00:59:00,119 York event, no doubt, no doubt. Hopefully we get a Joe Djokovic 832 00:59:00,159 --> 00:59:05,280 Alcarez final like we had in Cincinnati last week, and a classic. So 833 00:59:05,719 --> 00:59:08,800 hopefully there's always lots of dram there's always one or two wild, wild players 834 00:59:08,800 --> 00:59:10,920 that come out of nowhere and make a run and all that stuff. In 835 00:59:10,960 --> 00:59:15,039 the night matches are something that are a classic to New York. Yeah, 836 00:59:15,159 --> 00:59:21,800 absolutely right. I spent many a many a night back in the day getting 837 00:59:21,840 --> 00:59:25,639 back to the hotel in Manhattan like two or three in the morning, because 838 00:59:25,679 --> 00:59:30,360 they would not only do they play at night, but they had this bad 839 00:59:30,519 --> 00:59:37,239 habit of stacking up like two men's matches or a men's match after a doubles 840 00:59:37,239 --> 00:59:42,599 matchssing inevitably don't start till ten o'clock at night eleven. We'll go five sets. 841 00:59:43,079 --> 00:59:45,639 It was, there's there, there is, you know, we talked 842 00:59:45,639 --> 00:59:50,639 about PAC twelve after dark. There is a whole culture of stories of things 843 00:59:50,639 --> 00:59:54,159 that happened at the US Open after midnight, and you know it was it 844 00:59:54,199 --> 00:59:57,840 was something to behold for sure, no doubt. All right, let's get 845 00:59:57,840 --> 01:00:00,679 to the state of Florida before we get to USF just to quick thought on 846 01:00:00,719 --> 01:00:04,360 a couple of programs. Obviously, Florida State is the team in the state 847 01:00:04,400 --> 01:00:07,480 that has the most expectations, you know, huge matchup with LSU Week one. 848 01:00:07,880 --> 01:00:12,800 Just your thought of where Mike Norvelle is that in coming into year four 849 01:00:12,880 --> 01:00:15,760 and it's Florida State, in your opinion, kind of almost back to where 850 01:00:15,800 --> 01:00:19,960 they once were. Yeah, I think they are. I think Mike Mike 851 01:00:20,039 --> 01:00:22,400 Norvelle has got it going in the in the right direction. Obviously, if 852 01:00:22,400 --> 01:00:29,360 they can defeat LSU and Orlando on the first Sunday of the week one, 853 01:00:29,480 --> 01:00:32,880 that would be huge. I expect FSU to be right in there for the 854 01:00:32,920 --> 01:00:37,920 ACC and maybe even the College Football Playoff if if the right things break, 855 01:00:38,000 --> 01:00:42,639 I mean that LSU game looms large. Maybe that's not one you can drop 856 01:00:42,679 --> 01:00:47,440 and get Clemson later in September. Yeah, very very front loaded schedule for 857 01:00:47,480 --> 01:00:53,519 the Seminoles. But I certainly think that Mike Norvelle has built it to a 858 01:00:53,960 --> 01:00:57,880 great point and now they've got to execute. They've got to beat Clemson, 859 01:00:58,360 --> 01:01:04,360 they need to beat LSU if they are serious national contenders. But I think 860 01:01:04,360 --> 01:01:07,639 we've come a long way from three or four years ago when the Seminoles were 861 01:01:07,679 --> 01:01:10,079 really gasping for air. I think, you know, the program is on 862 01:01:10,119 --> 01:01:15,280 the upswing, and I don't think there's any doubt that you can say right 863 01:01:15,320 --> 01:01:17,639 now the Seminoles are running the state. They're they're the best team in the 864 01:01:17,639 --> 01:01:22,519 state and and certainly the best hope of a climb in the ladder, maybe 865 01:01:22,519 --> 01:01:27,840 winning a conference and contending for the national title. As we move a little 866 01:01:27,840 --> 01:01:31,480 further south, the other two big schools obviously no disparaging UCF, but Miami 867 01:01:31,480 --> 01:01:35,800 and Florida kind of in the middle of rebuilds. Both guys are in year 868 01:01:35,840 --> 01:01:39,159 two. Mario Crystal Ball, Billy Napier, any thoughts there, Yeah, 869 01:01:39,199 --> 01:01:43,719 Billy Napiers behind the eight ball for sure. They had a tough season to 870 01:01:43,760 --> 01:01:46,000 open it up, and now they've got what I think is probably the toughest 871 01:01:46,000 --> 01:01:50,800 schedule in America. They open at Utah, that's the opener on a Thursday 872 01:01:50,880 --> 01:01:54,320 night. They just have no breaks in this schedule at all, and really 873 01:01:54,360 --> 01:01:59,239 the way college football is going, even though it's year two, he's got 874 01:01:59,239 --> 01:02:01,400 to win. He's got to win. The Gators have got to got to 875 01:02:01,480 --> 01:02:05,440 make some headway in the SEC. And it's not going to be easy. 876 01:02:05,480 --> 01:02:08,559 And it's not going to be easy after this year when Oklahoma and Texas come 877 01:02:08,599 --> 01:02:15,280 in to the neighborhood. So you know, he's he's he's in a challenging 878 01:02:15,360 --> 01:02:19,440 position. They beat Utah last year's people quite remember if they could somehow go 879 01:02:19,480 --> 01:02:22,840 out to Utah and win, maybe that changes everything. But you know, 880 01:02:22,920 --> 01:02:25,360 they got a new quarterback, Grand Merts. We'll see how he does. 881 01:02:27,039 --> 01:02:34,239 Uh. It's still difficult to wrap my head around Florida struggling over multiple seasons 882 01:02:34,280 --> 01:02:37,239 because just of what we're used to and the resources they have there and the 883 01:02:37,280 --> 01:02:43,119 great players they always have there. But you know, it's it's an unforgiving 884 01:02:43,280 --> 01:02:45,840 world out there in college football, and Billy Napiers gott gotta get something going 885 01:02:45,880 --> 01:02:50,599 this year for sure. And then that at Miami Mario crystal Ball. You 886 01:02:50,639 --> 01:02:52,760 know, the big question is we know he can recruit, but can he 887 01:02:52,760 --> 01:02:58,920 actually coach? Can Yeah, And it's you know it's kind of like I 888 01:02:59,000 --> 01:03:01,599 know, I hear some of the national pundits. You know, there's a 889 01:03:01,599 --> 01:03:06,440 lot of talk about Texas. Texas plays Alabama early, and it's Texas back, 890 01:03:06,519 --> 01:03:10,239 It's Texas back, and it's almost like a punchline. Is Miami back 891 01:03:10,320 --> 01:03:15,880 is almost a punchline for the past couple of decades. It's still it still 892 01:03:15,920 --> 01:03:20,320 remains one of the most mystifying things that I've ever seen in sports, and 893 01:03:20,360 --> 01:03:23,320 I've been around it a long time. Miami's never won an ACC title, 894 01:03:23,599 --> 01:03:28,920 not one. And when they came into that league, I thought they were 895 01:03:28,920 --> 01:03:31,559 going to win it every year. So for whatever reason, they have taken 896 01:03:32,079 --> 01:03:37,559 big steps backward from what they used to be. I do think Mario Christobal 897 01:03:37,719 --> 01:03:42,480 is the right guy down there in Miami to to understand the culture of that 898 01:03:42,519 --> 01:03:46,119 program. I could get the right players in place again, got to get 899 01:03:46,159 --> 01:03:49,719 something done, got to move move, move the needle a little bit, 900 01:03:50,239 --> 01:03:53,159 and you know, got to win your big games. And We've been teased 901 01:03:53,199 --> 01:03:57,239 a lot before. It's been so long since Miami has come through in the 902 01:03:57,280 --> 01:04:00,440 big, big way that we're used to two decades that you sort of tuned 903 01:04:00,480 --> 01:04:04,679 it out. But it would be great for Miami to get back on top 904 01:04:04,760 --> 01:04:10,159 because I think college football is a better place when Miami is at the top 905 01:04:10,199 --> 01:04:13,440 of the food chain. All right, last question, then we'll get to 906 01:04:13,519 --> 01:04:17,159 USF. UCF very similar program to USF. They're making a big jump going 907 01:04:17,239 --> 01:04:20,320 from to the Big Twelve this year. How do you think they will blend 908 01:04:20,360 --> 01:04:26,159 into that conference? Obviously that conference is realigned and added some the Arizona schools 909 01:04:26,199 --> 01:04:29,760 with Utah and Colorado for next year, But how do you think that whole 910 01:04:30,079 --> 01:04:33,119 interc integration into the Big Twelve will go for UCF. I mean, I 911 01:04:33,159 --> 01:04:38,360 think it's it's a great thing for UCF obviously, not only for this year, 912 01:04:38,400 --> 01:04:42,960 but for the future, just the interjection of the funding that they're going 913 01:04:43,000 --> 01:04:45,000 to get and how they're going to be able to build a program. I 914 01:04:45,039 --> 01:04:47,440 know the recruiting is going very well. I do think this year will be 915 01:04:47,519 --> 01:04:53,639 a huge challenge because that's a big step up in competition. I think as 916 01:04:53,679 --> 01:04:56,880 the season goes on, you're gonna see depth become an issue, and I 917 01:04:56,920 --> 01:05:01,119 don't know if you seef's quite to the level of Big Twelve. I actually 918 01:05:01,159 --> 01:05:04,920 think if they could break even and get into a bowl game, I would 919 01:05:04,960 --> 01:05:10,639 I would classify that as a success for year one. I don't think that 920 01:05:10,719 --> 01:05:14,679 they're a realistic contender to win the league right away. I know some UCF 921 01:05:14,719 --> 01:05:17,679 fans may disagree with that, but I do think the jump in competition is 922 01:05:17,719 --> 01:05:20,480 going to be something that's going to be a little bit jarring, and it's 923 01:05:20,480 --> 01:05:25,639 almost like they have to instead of thriving. I think year one, you 924 01:05:25,719 --> 01:05:29,480 gotta survive first of all, and then I think down the line, UCF 925 01:05:29,840 --> 01:05:32,000 maybe a real factor in that league. Let's go to the team that you 926 01:05:32,079 --> 01:05:36,360 cover and you're part of the radio broadcast team. There. USF new coach 927 01:05:36,400 --> 01:05:41,280 Alex Scolish. Tell the fans out there maybe that maybe haven't heard Alex talk 928 01:05:41,360 --> 01:05:45,079 publicly or don't know much about him, give me a little sense of his 929 01:05:45,119 --> 01:05:47,440 personality. Is, you know, as he ready for this kind of opportunity. 930 01:05:47,559 --> 01:05:50,400 He's been on the job about seven a half eight months now. Just 931 01:05:50,440 --> 01:05:54,000 give me your thoughts of being around him for the first seven eight months. 932 01:05:54,559 --> 01:05:57,480 Well, first of all, as people may know, he was the Tennessee 933 01:05:57,559 --> 01:06:00,360 offensive coordinator last year, and by all accounts, he was going to be 934 01:06:00,400 --> 01:06:05,079 somebody's head coach, whether it was USF or another program that would have hired 935 01:06:05,159 --> 01:06:11,599 him. He was He was definitely aligned for that opportunity. He was fabulous 936 01:06:11,639 --> 01:06:14,559 last year at Tennessee. They were the number one offense in the country. 937 01:06:14,559 --> 01:06:18,639 They set all kinds of records, they beat Alabama. He is a fast 938 01:06:18,679 --> 01:06:24,079 paced, up tempo offensive guy that likes to get the ball in space to 939 01:06:24,159 --> 01:06:29,199 his playmakers and and get the defense uh, you know, without getting him 940 01:06:29,199 --> 01:06:32,559 to catch their breath. So USF is going to move fast. I think 941 01:06:33,000 --> 01:06:39,719 personality wise he is. He's very intense. He has a sense of urgency 942 01:06:39,719 --> 01:06:44,079 about him that when you're around him, you you know instantly that he is 943 01:06:44,119 --> 01:06:47,599 not thinking two or three wins is going to be acceptable here. He has 944 01:06:47,639 --> 01:06:51,960 a firelit under him to get it done as quickly as possible, hopefully a 945 01:06:51,960 --> 01:06:55,280 bowl game this year, and if that were to happen, that would be 946 01:06:55,320 --> 01:06:58,440 incredible. I think we could have a parade for him if he could pull 947 01:06:58,519 --> 01:07:01,119 something like that off. But he is not the kind of guy that's gonna 948 01:07:01,159 --> 01:07:05,000 sit back and try to rationalize a two win season. He knows he's got 949 01:07:05,000 --> 01:07:08,400 to win, and he's got to win now. And they've got a lot 950 01:07:08,400 --> 01:07:11,760 of new players. You've got thirty eight new scholarship players, so you're gonna 951 01:07:11,760 --> 01:07:14,519 see a lot of new faces, and we're not even sure who some of 952 01:07:14,519 --> 01:07:16,199 these guys are and what they can do. It's all a learning experience for 953 01:07:16,239 --> 01:07:23,519 a lot of us. But I do think he relates to the USF culture, 954 01:07:23,599 --> 01:07:26,639 and by that I mean he is a blue collar, hard working guy. 955 01:07:27,440 --> 01:07:30,360 He is not a fair haired child. He came up the hard way. 956 01:07:30,960 --> 01:07:34,320 He's coached at every level you can coach from GA to every position, 957 01:07:34,800 --> 01:07:39,480 and now a head coach, so he is he is a grinder. He's 958 01:07:39,480 --> 01:07:44,360 a grunt. He's a great recruiter, and I think he's gonna put in 959 01:07:44,400 --> 01:07:46,599 the work that needs to be done to get USF back, and it isn't 960 01:07:46,800 --> 01:07:49,880 It is a lot of work that's needed, and I think he can relate 961 01:07:49,920 --> 01:07:54,400 to that and he's not afraid of it. And he is a guy that 962 01:07:55,199 --> 01:08:00,360 he's wonderful personality. He's got a great sense of humor. But when you're 963 01:08:00,400 --> 01:08:03,079 done talking to him, he's out. He's back to his office or he's 964 01:08:03,119 --> 01:08:06,400 on the practice field. He is not a time waster. He has a 965 01:08:06,480 --> 01:08:11,400 job, he knows his task. He'll be cordial to you and all that, 966 01:08:11,519 --> 01:08:14,840 but he's got things to do. And I kind of like that approach 967 01:08:14,880 --> 01:08:16,640 because the USF getting back on top is going to require a lot of work, 968 01:08:16,640 --> 01:08:20,119 and I think he's gonna be able to put it in. Speaking of 969 01:08:20,359 --> 01:08:25,520 you know the reason why this job was potentially very attractive to him and others. 970 01:08:26,199 --> 01:08:30,279 New new indoor facility that opened late last year that they're fully utilizing this 971 01:08:30,359 --> 01:08:32,680 year. The approval of the new stadium, give us an update on the 972 01:08:32,720 --> 01:08:36,760 stadium and kind of win that's when we think that's gonna start, and projected 973 01:08:36,800 --> 01:08:40,279 opening day and all that good stuff. Yeah, well, first of all, 974 01:08:40,319 --> 01:08:43,800 the indoor. I gotta tell you that, you know how hot, 975 01:08:43,920 --> 01:08:46,880 how hot this summer has been for all of us. Man, the indoor 976 01:08:46,960 --> 01:08:51,159 is wonderful some of those days watching practice, not only for just you know, 977 01:08:51,239 --> 01:08:55,000 folks like me, but the players just to give him a break and 978 01:08:55,000 --> 01:08:58,479 get him out of the sun. So the indoor is a wonderful asset for 979 01:08:58,520 --> 01:09:02,680 the whole campus. Stadium is moving along. They are projecting a twenty twenty 980 01:09:02,720 --> 01:09:08,720 six opening next up, and I know USF fans have been waiting for this. 981 01:09:08,840 --> 01:09:11,359 The renderings, the drawings. They want to see what this thing is 982 01:09:11,359 --> 01:09:16,319 gonna look like. And then shortly after that, probably sometime in early twenty 983 01:09:16,399 --> 01:09:19,479 twenty four. I think we're gonna see some shovels in the ground and we'll 984 01:09:19,520 --> 01:09:24,079 start to get this thing built. So it's gonna be a wonderful thing for 985 01:09:24,119 --> 01:09:29,479 the program, a game changer to have college football on the campus. You 986 01:09:29,560 --> 01:09:32,800 really can't understate what it's gonna mean, because that is college football. You 987 01:09:32,800 --> 01:09:38,079 know. Raymond James Stadium is a wonderful palace of football, a super Bowl 988 01:09:38,159 --> 01:09:42,319 site and all of that, and it's very comfortable, but it's not on 989 01:09:42,359 --> 01:09:47,000 the campus. And anybody that's going to Florida or Florida State or certainly any 990 01:09:47,039 --> 01:09:50,399 place in the South, you know that's part of the deal. And I 991 01:09:50,439 --> 01:09:54,840 think it's gonna really it's gonna change USFS football program. I thought. I 992 01:09:54,880 --> 01:09:57,800 also think it's going to change USFS campus. It's gonna be a bit different, 993 01:09:57,840 --> 01:10:01,000 a different place. Ask question that we'll get to the actual rosters of 994 01:10:01,079 --> 01:10:04,880 any any talking in the athletic department about his USF going to be any part 995 01:10:04,880 --> 01:10:09,560 of this realignment. Is their opportunity potentially to go to a I know they've 996 01:10:09,560 --> 01:10:13,920 gone unto the AAC this year. Are they in any chatter as far as 997 01:10:14,319 --> 01:10:16,880 potentially to the ACC Any of that kind of stuff. I mean, I 998 01:10:16,880 --> 01:10:24,680 think that's probably the most logical destination if it were to occur. Uh and 999 01:10:24,680 --> 01:10:29,840 and I would think that would be a great place geographically. My problem with 1000 01:10:29,880 --> 01:10:34,159 all this realignment is the geography makes no sense. So if USF were to 1001 01:10:34,199 --> 01:10:39,239 go anywhere, I think the ACC would be a natural fit. I you 1002 01:10:39,279 --> 01:10:43,319 know, who knows what's going to happen, but certainly they're they're in the 1003 01:10:43,359 --> 01:10:47,319 conversation, so they're putting themselves in the conversations. They have tons of assets, 1004 01:10:47,960 --> 01:10:54,920 the great city, a stadium coming, a program that's that's uh, 1005 01:10:54,960 --> 01:10:59,199 that's being that's getting investment, and they're taking this very seriously about getting back 1006 01:10:59,279 --> 01:11:02,039 on top. But you know, I think the bottom line is I gotta 1007 01:11:02,079 --> 01:11:05,880 see some wins, Gotta see this program do some things on the field, 1008 01:11:05,920 --> 01:11:10,479 and then if if the Bulls can do that, then they will make themselves 1009 01:11:10,600 --> 01:11:14,520 very, very attractive. I think a winning program in a city like Tampa 1010 01:11:14,560 --> 01:11:17,960 with a new on campus stadium would be great for any league. So they're 1011 01:11:17,960 --> 01:11:20,520 gonna have some things to sell, but they do need to win some games. 1012 01:11:21,000 --> 01:11:25,720 Yeah, as we're recording, there's lots of chatter today that Stanford cal 1013 01:11:25,800 --> 01:11:30,279 and SMU are close to getting accepted to the ACC and not done yet, 1014 01:11:30,319 --> 01:11:32,399 but that's kind of the way it sounds like it's going. So, you 1015 01:11:32,439 --> 01:11:34,960 know, obviously with all the moving parts, and you got Florida State, 1016 01:11:35,000 --> 01:11:38,880 Clemson in kind of in some limbo all that stuff. So to me, 1017 01:11:38,880 --> 01:11:41,680 you're right, I think USF would be a good fit in the a SEC 1018 01:11:41,840 --> 01:11:45,399 if if there was an opportunity down the road to do that. All right, 1019 01:11:45,520 --> 01:11:48,199 let's get to the actual the roster itself. You mentioned thirty eight new 1020 01:11:48,319 --> 01:11:54,199 new guys on scholarship by my count, eighteen transfers and probably that means twenty 1021 01:11:54,279 --> 01:12:00,319 or so high school kids something like that. Very normal for attrition like this 1022 01:12:00,359 --> 01:12:02,000 when you have a new coaching staff. Just your thoughts. Give me a 1023 01:12:02,399 --> 01:12:05,560 position group or two that you think are going to be a strength of this 1024 01:12:05,560 --> 01:12:11,960 team early. I think the quarterback room is pretty deep, and that's everybody 1025 01:12:11,960 --> 01:12:15,000 wants to know about that. Alex Scolish is not officially named a starting quarterback, 1026 01:12:15,079 --> 01:12:19,000 but the two guys that we all expect to be in contention for that, 1027 01:12:19,039 --> 01:12:24,520 I'd be comfortable with either of them playing. Gary Bohannon came in last 1028 01:12:24,560 --> 01:12:28,079 year from Baylor just when he was getting things going and they were in a 1029 01:12:28,159 --> 01:12:30,680 really tough game with Tulane. He went down and the season was over with 1030 01:12:30,720 --> 01:12:35,199 an injury. So he's recovering from a from a shoulder injury. By the 1031 01:12:35,279 --> 01:12:40,039 end of last year, Byron Brown came in. He was just turned eighteen 1032 01:12:40,119 --> 01:12:44,199 years old. He completed his first twenty one passes against Tulsa and then he 1033 01:12:44,399 --> 01:12:49,279 almost beat UCF single handedly with a great second half rally. He's a cool, 1034 01:12:49,479 --> 01:12:55,640 cool customer on the field, really polite, nice kid, great athlete, 1035 01:12:57,079 --> 01:13:00,319 got an incredible future, I think. So. I don't know if 1036 01:13:00,319 --> 01:13:02,800 they would play two guys, but I would be comfortable with either of those 1037 01:13:02,800 --> 01:13:08,359 guys playing. So and they've got Bryce Archie, a transfer, and Israel 1038 01:13:08,479 --> 01:13:11,640 Carter, who they believe is going to be a big time player. He's 1039 01:13:11,640 --> 01:13:16,199 a freshman from Southern California region. So they've got four interesting guys in that 1040 01:13:16,279 --> 01:13:21,319 quarterback room. And as we always learned, and we're always obsessed about who's 1041 01:13:21,319 --> 01:13:25,359 going to start. When we learned this every year we have to relearn it 1042 01:13:25,479 --> 01:13:29,640 is the injuries happen and you're gonna need more than one quarterback. You may 1043 01:13:29,720 --> 01:13:32,960 need three quarterbacks, maybe even four. At times. So all of that 1044 01:13:33,079 --> 01:13:40,359 depth, you know, poor Ten's very very well. I think on defense, 1045 01:13:41,279 --> 01:13:44,520 they've got some really interesting guys up front, and that's where they really 1046 01:13:44,560 --> 01:13:49,000 need to improve because as poorly as they've played defensively last few years, the 1047 01:13:49,640 --> 01:13:55,880 one glaring thing is just there almost chronic inability to get to the quarterback or 1048 01:13:55,920 --> 01:14:00,600 create pressure their sack. Their sack numbers have been very very low. Interesting 1049 01:14:00,640 --> 01:14:08,039 guy on the edge Lloyd's summer All who transfers in from Florida. He was 1050 01:14:08,119 --> 01:14:12,800 from Lakeland High School and he has a big, rangy, long armed guy, 1051 01:14:12,840 --> 01:14:15,279 an athletic guy on the edge. I think he's going to be maybe 1052 01:14:15,279 --> 01:14:19,199 one of their big disruptors, and they need disruptors like crazy. Upfront, 1053 01:14:20,760 --> 01:14:26,479 they've got more beef on the interior and overall, they've got more depth on 1054 01:14:26,520 --> 01:14:30,119 the defensive line. That was another thing that came up for sure a couple 1055 01:14:30,159 --> 01:14:32,039 of years ago. They got some injuries and all of a sudden they're they're 1056 01:14:32,079 --> 01:14:36,199 down to like no depth on the defensive line, which is a major major 1057 01:14:36,279 --> 01:14:41,880 mistake. So if nothing else, they have a lot of bodies and they 1058 01:14:41,880 --> 01:14:45,119 have a lot more size, So they just need to figure out a way. 1059 01:14:45,560 --> 01:14:50,000 Coach Todd Orlando is the new defensive coordinator, and he's done some good 1060 01:14:50,000 --> 01:14:57,680 things at Texas, Houston USC among others. But he's a guy that Alex 1061 01:14:57,760 --> 01:15:00,399 Gohler says will create problems for an offen a coordinator. They went up against 1062 01:15:00,399 --> 01:15:04,079 each other a lot in the past, So I think if Todd Orlando can 1063 01:15:04,119 --> 01:15:06,560 figure out a way to free up some of these guys, some of these 1064 01:15:06,600 --> 01:15:12,000 disruptive guys they've got, and put some pressure on the quarterback, defense is 1065 01:15:12,039 --> 01:15:14,720 going to improve a whole heck of a lot, because really we've gone two 1066 01:15:14,800 --> 01:15:18,039 or three years with the opposing quarterback really just sitting back there throwing darts, 1067 01:15:18,520 --> 01:15:21,760 and you can't do that in college football. That's that's a recipe for disaster. 1068 01:15:23,600 --> 01:15:26,039 Yeah, and again, I've been around the program a little bit the 1069 01:15:26,119 --> 01:15:29,039 last couple of years as well, and to me, they're glaring weakness as 1070 01:15:29,039 --> 01:15:32,279 you mentioned, of the trenches, both offensive and defensive line productivity. Alex 1071 01:15:32,359 --> 01:15:35,439 is a former offensive line coach, so that will probably be a strength of 1072 01:15:35,479 --> 01:15:39,880 his as far as coaching that. And again, to me, you're you're 1073 01:15:39,960 --> 01:15:42,920 right. They're going to run a fast paced tempo. If you watch Tennessee 1074 01:15:42,960 --> 01:15:45,560 play at all the last couple of years with Hypel, they're snapping the ball 1075 01:15:45,600 --> 01:15:48,319 every time, are they Is he going to try to keep that that base 1076 01:15:48,439 --> 01:15:53,520 going that every ten You know, it's always like you have to see this 1077 01:15:53,640 --> 01:15:57,439 to see what it is. And a lot of the talk that you have 1078 01:15:57,560 --> 01:16:01,319 during training camp maybe doesn't translate into the season. But every every player you 1079 01:16:01,399 --> 01:16:04,960 talk to, every defensive player you talk to, talks about how fast a 1080 01:16:05,039 --> 01:16:09,800 pace they're they're doing this. It's not just you know, everybody says they 1081 01:16:09,800 --> 01:16:12,880 play fast, right, everybody in high school wants to play fast, but 1082 01:16:13,039 --> 01:16:16,680 this, they say, is faster than fast. This is, you know, 1083 01:16:18,399 --> 01:16:21,520 crazy fast. So we'll see how it translates. But if they can 1084 01:16:21,600 --> 01:16:27,039 do that and be efficient and not have uh, you know, false start 1085 01:16:27,079 --> 01:16:30,079 penalties and things like that usually come up when you're trying this sort of thing, 1086 01:16:30,439 --> 01:16:33,159 they could create some problems because if you if you have a smart quarterback 1087 01:16:33,199 --> 01:16:36,199 and playmakers and you can you can get up to the line and catch them 1088 01:16:36,199 --> 01:16:40,159 out of position, you can you can hurt some people. That's what they're 1089 01:16:40,199 --> 01:16:43,359 going to try to do. We'll see when they go to Western Kentucky on 1090 01:16:43,399 --> 01:16:45,800 September two, how it looks, but it sounds good. Now we'll see 1091 01:16:45,800 --> 01:16:49,840 how it looks. You mentioned the schedule. They obviously start at Western Kentucky 1092 01:16:49,880 --> 01:16:54,720 has always been a pretty good program. And then two weeks later, probably 1093 01:16:54,760 --> 01:16:57,680 the biggest home game in the history of the program. You got Nick Saban 1094 01:16:58,039 --> 01:17:01,079 and the Crimson Tide coming to Raymond James Stadium. What has the chatter been 1095 01:17:01,119 --> 01:17:04,479 around the you know, the athletic department, the program. Obviously you don't 1096 01:17:04,520 --> 01:17:08,399 want to look ahead to that game because you don't want to overlook Western Kentucky. 1097 01:17:08,479 --> 01:17:11,439 But it's the biggest home game they've ever had in their history. Yeah, 1098 01:17:11,560 --> 01:17:15,199 it's I mean, anytime you have Alabama involved in anything, it's going 1099 01:17:15,239 --> 01:17:18,319 to create attention. So it's it's far and away the highlight of the home 1100 01:17:18,359 --> 01:17:23,680 schedule. A lot of people are excited to see something like this. It's 1101 01:17:23,720 --> 01:17:28,960 a three thirty game on ABC. Uh, you know what the stadium looks 1102 01:17:29,000 --> 01:17:31,880 like. I guess we'll find out how many red red shirts are there and 1103 01:17:31,880 --> 01:17:35,640 how many green shirts are there. But it'll be it'll be noisy, and 1104 01:17:35,760 --> 01:17:40,319 it'll be an occasion. So we'll see how it goes. I mean, 1105 01:17:40,880 --> 01:17:43,760 one thing to remember, you know, Alex Golds beat Alabama last year. 1106 01:17:43,800 --> 01:17:47,399 Now you had Tennessee players doing it, but he knows what it's like to 1107 01:17:47,399 --> 01:17:50,760 beat Nick Sabe and he can he can speak to he actually did that, 1108 01:17:51,159 --> 01:17:56,840 so we'll see if that can translate. The other thing is Alabama's coming will 1109 01:17:56,880 --> 01:18:00,039 be coming off their game against Texas, yes, and USF will be coming 1110 01:18:00,079 --> 01:18:05,319 off a game against Florida and m So certainly, I'm sure a lot of 1111 01:18:05,359 --> 01:18:11,800 work has already been done on Alabama preparing for that game. You hear the 1112 01:18:12,199 --> 01:18:15,399 chatter around the nation about, you know, how good's Alabam actually gonna be? 1113 01:18:15,640 --> 01:18:19,279 Is this gonna be a down years Georgia kind of just you know, 1114 01:18:19,359 --> 01:18:25,159 taking everything away in the sec which which may be true. But again, 1115 01:18:25,199 --> 01:18:29,159 it's Nick Saban, It's the Crimson Tide, and I'm not going to discount 1116 01:18:29,199 --> 01:18:32,159 them because I've spent my life seeing how great they are and I'm sure they're 1117 01:18:32,159 --> 01:18:35,039 going to be very, very competitive this year. I think if as a 1118 01:18:35,159 --> 01:18:39,399 USF fan and other fans that are listening that are that are Bulls fans, 1119 01:18:39,439 --> 01:18:42,279 I think the thing that you want to see in year one with Alex sure 1120 01:18:42,319 --> 01:18:44,680 you want to win games. And I get it, but what you don't 1121 01:18:44,720 --> 01:18:46,079 want to do is you don't want to be given up fifty every week. 1122 01:18:46,159 --> 01:18:49,680 You don't want to be getting blown out. Be competitive again. Are you 1123 01:18:49,680 --> 01:18:53,520 gonna beat Alabama? Probably not, but you don't want to lose fifty eight 1124 01:18:53,560 --> 01:18:57,560 to ten. It's kind of games like that that the fans lose interest in 1125 01:18:57,560 --> 01:19:00,399 a hurry. Is you want to at least be competitive and you get the 1126 01:19:00,399 --> 01:19:03,239 conference games. Be competitive if you win a few, great if you don't, 1127 01:19:03,279 --> 01:19:06,159 but you want to be in games going to the fourth quarter. Yeah, 1128 01:19:06,199 --> 01:19:12,239 and you know there's no moral victories, but you're right you realistically, 1129 01:19:12,359 --> 01:19:16,520 USF has tough odds to win this game, but you do want to feel 1130 01:19:16,520 --> 01:19:20,319 good about yourself coming out of it because you could jump right into the conference 1131 01:19:20,359 --> 01:19:24,279 after that, and that you know, for for not only USF, but 1132 01:19:24,319 --> 01:19:27,000 for every team, that's the bottom line is to win your conference. Something 1133 01:19:27,520 --> 01:19:31,720 USF is still not done as a program. So Alex Golish knows that his 1134 01:19:31,840 --> 01:19:36,039 biggest task is to be that head coach that actually raises that trophy for the 1135 01:19:36,079 --> 01:19:41,600 first time. That's that's where that's the next big milestone for us F. 1136 01:19:41,760 --> 01:19:45,520 USF's had a lot of great non conference wins and its history. Notre Dame 1137 01:19:45,600 --> 01:19:49,880 beating Clemson and beaten in Miami and Auburn and West Virginia. I mean, 1138 01:19:50,119 --> 01:19:54,399 these are these are big time wins. But but they've got to win their 1139 01:19:54,399 --> 01:19:59,079 conference and get into a big bowl game. That's how the program advances. 1140 01:19:59,159 --> 01:20:05,239 But early, if they could play a competitive game against Alabama in Week three, 1141 01:20:05,319 --> 01:20:10,159 that's gonna get everybody's attention. Talk about last thing I'll get you out 1142 01:20:10,199 --> 01:20:14,319 here, talk about the NIL component of all this. How is USF doing 1143 01:20:14,640 --> 01:20:16,119 on that front? Do they? I know, I've seen lots of things 1144 01:20:16,119 --> 01:20:21,079 with the Fouler Avenue Collective talk about how they're how they're competing, especially more 1145 01:20:21,079 --> 01:20:24,560 in their conference. How do they how do they think they're gonna be able 1146 01:20:24,560 --> 01:20:28,119 to compete with from an NIL perspective. Yeah, it's gotta it's gotta be 1147 01:20:28,239 --> 01:20:31,600 very strategic, and it's got to involve everybody, and the Fouler Avenue Collective 1148 01:20:31,720 --> 01:20:35,000 is is kind of the main driver of that right now. I think, 1149 01:20:35,760 --> 01:20:41,119 you know, probably in the in the past year USF boosters have become more 1150 01:20:41,239 --> 01:20:45,960 educated on it and how they can help. Again, you you you don't 1151 01:20:45,000 --> 01:20:49,680 have unlimited funds. You've got to be very strategic about how you use those 1152 01:20:49,720 --> 01:20:56,640 funds. And the reality is the way college football is going, particularly with 1153 01:20:56,720 --> 01:21:01,680 realignment, it's it's these mega programs with with what seems like unlimited money, 1154 01:21:02,079 --> 01:21:06,279 and there are going to be times when you cannot compete in that realm. 1155 01:21:06,319 --> 01:21:10,720 But you have to be you have to be able to at least selectively compete. 1156 01:21:11,680 --> 01:21:14,880 In other words, not give blanket cash to every single player, but 1157 01:21:15,159 --> 01:21:17,680 you've got to protect the ones that are valuable to you, and that's what 1158 01:21:17,720 --> 01:21:21,880 they're attempting to do. So it's it's a new world for everyone in college 1159 01:21:21,960 --> 01:21:27,920 football. I'm still not sure where this is going. I would like it 1160 01:21:27,960 --> 01:21:33,119 to, like to see it regulated on a consistent manner where it's not a 1161 01:21:33,159 --> 01:21:38,800 bidding process or players are jumping schools all the time. But how that gets 1162 01:21:38,800 --> 01:21:44,359 done as anybody's guess. And that speaks to a larger issue of not only 1163 01:21:44,359 --> 01:21:47,560 an I all, but conference relignment and just where this sport is going in 1164 01:21:47,600 --> 01:21:50,399 the next ten years. And I don't think anybody knows the answer to that 1165 01:21:50,479 --> 01:21:55,000 right now, certainly not me. We'll tell everybody where if they don't have 1166 01:21:55,000 --> 01:21:58,039 a USF radio affiliate in their market, tell abate where they can find the 1167 01:21:58,079 --> 01:22:01,680 USF broadcast and hear you in the team with Western Kentucky in week one. 1168 01:22:02,199 --> 01:22:05,760 Well, you can get it streamed off of Go Bulls. Excuse me, 1169 01:22:05,840 --> 01:22:10,920 Go USF Bulls dot com. There'll be a link for all of the games 1170 01:22:10,920 --> 01:22:15,000 you can click on there you get static, free, perfect reception. Anywhere 1171 01:22:15,039 --> 01:22:16,960 in the world you can get a USF game, which is part of the 1172 01:22:17,000 --> 01:22:23,279 miracle of modern technology, I guess, and so we'll be we'll be looking 1173 01:22:23,279 --> 01:22:27,199 forward to that. The opener is at Western Kentucky on September second. That 1174 01:22:27,279 --> 01:22:31,279 game is on the CBS Sports Network and as you mentioned, difficult opponent right 1175 01:22:31,319 --> 01:22:34,960 out of the box, maybe people might not view it that way, but 1176 01:22:35,000 --> 01:22:38,800 they've got a great quarterback in Austin Reid. They put up a lot of 1177 01:22:38,840 --> 01:22:42,439 points. So that USF defense, which is really trying to improve, is 1178 01:22:42,439 --> 01:22:45,399 going to get a big test right away. All right. We can find 1179 01:22:45,479 --> 01:22:49,520 Joey on Twitter X or whatever we're calling it these days at Joey Johnston j 1180 01:22:50,159 --> 01:22:55,720 j O h N S t O N eight one three. Again, he's 1181 01:22:55,760 --> 01:22:59,600 also the owner of Joey Johnston Communications. So if you're ever in the need 1182 01:22:59,640 --> 01:23:02,000 for any media work content that kind of stuff. Joey's a great outlet. 1183 01:23:02,159 --> 01:23:06,640 And again, Joey's been UH doing sports media and media work in the Tampa 1184 01:23:06,640 --> 01:23:11,479 Bay air in state of Florida for numerous years and is tremendous at it. 1185 01:23:11,560 --> 01:23:14,520 So Joey appreciate the time. Man. Good luck with the Bulls this year, 1186 01:23:14,920 --> 01:23:19,760 and enjoy your trip to UH to Kentucky. I'm actually and I'll tell 1187 01:23:19,760 --> 01:23:25,920 you a story. When I played at UAB I did. I played there 1188 01:23:25,960 --> 01:23:31,880 in a Western Kentucky when John Jack Hardball was the coach, John Hardball and 1189 01:23:32,079 --> 01:23:36,920 Jim Harball's father, who's the coach. That was a good Western Kentucky team 1190 01:23:36,960 --> 01:23:40,840 that you played, pretty decent. They were always good. Yeah, when 1191 01:23:41,119 --> 01:23:43,399 he took over, they were struggling, but he got him. He got 1192 01:23:43,479 --> 01:23:46,000 them very competitive. And yeah, you know yeah, Bowling Green, Kentucky. 1193 01:23:46,119 --> 01:23:54,199 USF many many years ago before football shared a conference with Western the old 1194 01:23:54,199 --> 01:24:00,239 Sun Belt, So USF teams have gone to Bowling Green before, So this 1195 01:24:00,279 --> 01:24:03,560 will be interesting. And the Corvette Museum is right down the road right from 1196 01:24:03,600 --> 01:24:06,920 Bowling Green. So I think it's gonna be a really fascinating game. I 1197 01:24:06,960 --> 01:24:12,199 do. Western is a is gonna be a tough out. I kind of 1198 01:24:12,399 --> 01:24:14,760 I kind of think it's going to be a high scoring game. I think 1199 01:24:14,760 --> 01:24:17,239 we can be really entertaining, So you know, get your popcorn ready. 1200 01:24:17,279 --> 01:24:20,720 You could have some big entertainment right away up week one, no doubt. 1201 01:24:20,720 --> 01:24:24,359 Well, Joey, appreciate the time and we'll talk to you soon, all 1202 01:24:24,439 --> 01:24:30,239 right, Jason, thanks thanks for listening to the Florida Football Insiders Podcast as 1203 01:24:30,279 --> 01:24:35,319 part of the College Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast network. Please remember subscribe rate 1204 01:24:35,399 --> 01:24:39,640 in review if you've not already done so, and you can reach out to 1205 01:24:39,720 --> 01:24:44,000 me on Twitter at j Post Sports. Love to hear your comments and feedback 1206 01:24:44,039 --> 01:24:48,680 about our episodes and any program suggestions moving forward. Check out our video interviews 1207 01:24:48,680 --> 01:24:55,319 as well on my YouTube channel, Jason Powers Sports Channel, and we'll see 1208 01:24:55,319 --> 01:24:59,119 it next week on the Florida Football Insiders Podcast